Trey kho marit.
(Peppered caramelized smelt.)

Boneless smelt with rich peppered caramelized sauce is Khmer Krom country food. One of my child hood favorite breakfasts is this peppered caramelized smelt and coconut red bean and rice soup * borbo s’det krohom nung tirk doung* Very yummy !

• Ingredients :
  • 1 lb Fresh smel
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 Cup water
  • 4 Cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ Cup fish sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • ½ Teaspoon black pepper
• Procedures :
  Clean fish, heads off, take a little sharp knife cut along the both sides of fish back bones. Gently pulls the central bones out and down toward the fish tail, and cut then cut the bones and tail off, set a side.
  
  Now make caramelized sauce by put 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a pot or skillet that big enough to hold all ingredients. Cook and stir frequently till sugar turns dark brown color, immediately pour 1-cup water over caramelized sauce, stirs well.
  Add garlic, fish sauce, sugar and salt, stirs well.
  Add fish and simmering till sauce thicken and water reduced.
  Sprinkles with black pepper.
  Serve with rice or with coconut red bean and rice soup.