Fish sauce (Recipe: nuoc cham)

When you taste something wonderful in a restaurant, and you ask for the recipe, and the owner himself shares the recipe with you — and you've written it down, so you won't leave anything out — you expect to be able to recreate that wonderful taste in your own kitchen.

So why did it take me years to make nuoc cham, the mother condiment of all Vietnamese cuisine, that tastes like it does in a restaurant?

The answer is in the fish sauce, and, as I discovered, all fish sauce is not created equal.

Asian fish sauce, made from anchovies, salt and water, is called nuoc mam in Vietnam, and in Thailand, nam pla. It's salty, and smelly, and indispensable in Vietnamese and Thai cooking, where it plays the role soy sauce plays in Chinese cookery. The quality and taste of fish sauces vary widely, and I tried many before I found one that yielded the taste I was seeking.

Three Crabs brand is the one I've been using for years. It's a bit different from other fish sauces available in my Asian supermarket, because it contains fructose, which makes it sweeter and also smoother than the naturally processed brands. To me, all that matters is that Three Crabs makes authentic-tasting nuoc cham, an all-important condiment and dipping sauce for salad rolls (see tomorrow's post) and noodle salads.

Oh...it's great in other Asian recipes, too.

NUOC CHAM (Vietnamese dipping sauce)
Keeps in the fridge for a month or more. Makes 1-1/2 cups (approx.).

1/2 tsp chili paste with garlic (Lan Chi brand is best)
2/3 cup hot water
1/4 cup sugar (or less, to taste)
1/4 cup fish sauce (use Three Crabs brand with pink label to achieve best flavor)
Juice of 1/2 lime

Place all ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake!

Comments

[Pauline]

I like my nime chow with this dip: to 1 cup hot water, add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tbsps fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp rice vinegar. Stir all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Add finely chopped peanuts.

[lydia]

Thanks, Pauline. A nice alternative for those who don't like spicy sauces.

[Veron]

I like the 3 crabs brand too. Thanks for the recipe for nuoc cham. Just in case you are curious, in the Philippines fish sauce is called "Patis".

[Lydia]

Thanks for the info, Veron. Just wondering -- does Philippine fish sauce different greatly in taste from the Thai or Vietnamese sauces?

[Clint S]

Hi dear,

Do you carry any Fish Sauce Powder and Fish Exract Powder? Please response to my request if you know any places have it.

Thanks
Clint