Fish Sauce-Every home should have one
Liquid salt in Asian cooking
There aren’t many things in life that, on the one hand can smell so bad yet taste so good on the other (alternative suggestions on a postcard to the webmaster)
Fish sauce is a major ingredient in the food of South East Asia and Thailand and Vietnam in particular. It is the salty in the hot, sour, salty and sweet which defines Thai cooking. It is a ‘must have’ table sauce in Vietnam where bowls of the pungent sauce are flavoured with tiny, mind blowing chillies to sprinkle over your soup, rice or noodles. It blends itself into coconut curries, laksas, spicy seafood and beef salads with astonishing ease.
A glug of fish sauce in your next green curry will open up new doors in your quest for the perfect curry, thai curry simply isn’t curry without it.
The Thai’s call it ‘nam pla’, the Vietnamese ‘nouc mam’ and every country has its own particular variety, some are slightly sweetned (avoid) some very strong, some quite delicate. The jury is out on which brand is the best, I would suggest that the best are in Vietnam and Thailand which are not exported and geared towards the Western palette.
Once opened I keep fish sauce in the refrigerator, it keeps for an eternity. Some do not bother refrigerating but I prefer the taste of cold fish sauce, the smell alone would stop me from keeping the stuff unrefrigerated!
Use it as a replacement for salt in your next curry or slice some chillies and leave to mature in a jar of nouc mam for a condiment to soups, curries and braises.
Try this Vietnamese condiment:
Mix together 1/4 cup each of fish sauce, fresh lime juice and water. Stir in a tablespoon of caster sugar and mix well. Finely chop a clove of garlic, a birds eye chilli and a small piece of ginger (optional) Stir well and keep refrigerated.
This is a base recipe, you can try adding chopped fresh coriander or Asian basil or some finely chopped shallots or spring onions. What is important is to taste the sauce at every stage to ensure the flavours balance and that one doesn’t cancel out the other.
Miles
You are now taking me down a new road (I was still in France) which I am willing to try. How do I best use the above condiment?
Perhaps we should all have a culinary trip to Asia to experience the flavours?
August 31, 2007 @ 2:28 pm
Christine,
Fish sauce is used as a substitute for salt or as a base sauce in its own right.
Don’t be put off by the smell, it blends in remarkably well and gives dishes a certain lift or a push in an Asian direction if you will.
As for visiting Asia, well, I cannot recommend the region highly enough.
Try Singapore as a gentle introduction, it really is a gateway to Asia. Check out Gourmet Food Source for more information and photos.
Regards
Miles
August 31, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
Miles,
I’ve been away, did I miss anything important? Thankfully I see details of your sticky toffee puddings are still lingering, no doubt waiting for my return! After a quick rummage through the kitchen drawers I see some vintage lentils and a bottle of fish sauce. Time to do some cooking …
Cid
September 1, 2007 @ 12:18 am
Cid,
Welcome back!
No, you haven’t missed much-should have stayed away!! Keep the fish sauce away from the sticky toffee’s-wine induced cookery can have its pitfalls!
miles
September 1, 2007 @ 7:50 am