Recipe: Vietnamese fish sauce for dipping | Nuoc mam cham

When I’m feeling fancy, I like to call this “fish sauce vinaigrette” or even “anchovy vinaigrette.” Essentially, it’s the vital finishing touch on scores of Vietnamese dishes. It can be used as a dipping sauce, a condiment, or a dressing. If you know how to make this one recipe, you’ll have the key to unlock an arsenal of Vietnamese dishes.The Vietnamese name for this sauce is nuoc mam cham—“nuoc mam” referring to the fish sauce and “cham” meaning “to dip.” I’m showing you this recipe as a prelude to the rice vermicelli bowl I’ll talk about next time, as my answer to the one I had at Bun Thit Nuong Chi Thong in Saigon.This nuoc mam cham recipe is included in my first cookbook, Recipes from My Home Kitchen and is a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. It’s what small bites like fried spring rolls are dipped in, it’s what dresses Vietnamese salads, broken rice plates with grilled pork chops, and rice vermicelli bowls.I’ve even used similar versions to give a western salad a southeast Asian flair.It’s super simple to make, especially if you throw everything into a Magic Bullet the way I do. Store it in an airtight container in your fridge, and it should stay good for a couple of weeks. Be forewarned, though: this stuff is sticky and, while it’s awesome on your food, it’s terrible on your clothes, so be careful!

Recipe: Fish Sauce for Dipping | Nuoc Mam Cham

Notes: My Aunt Carol taught me the 4:3:2:1 ratio, a good rule of thumb to remember when making nuoc mam cham: 4 parts water to 3 parts sugar to 2 parts fish sauce to 1 part acid like lime juice or vinegar.

Ingredients

1. 2 cloves garlic
2. 2 bird’s eye chile peppers or to taste (these are the tiny red peppers usually found in Thai or Vietnamese cooking—they can be super hot, so if you prefer your sauce milder, discard the seeds or omit the peppers all together)
3. 2 limes, juiced (approx 1/4 c)
4. 3/4 c granulated sugar
5. 1/2 c fish sauce
6. 1 c water

Instructions

1. Make sauce in a blender: In a small blender like the Magic Bullet, combine the garlic, peppers, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and water; blend until incorporated.
2. Make sauce the [slightly more] laborious way: In a mortar & pestle, crush the garlic and peppers (or just mince them). In a mason jar, combine garlic, peppers, and lime juice. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, fish sauce, and water untildissolved. Pour into jar, cover, and shake to combine.
3. Let stand 30m for flavors to combine. Store chilled in airtight container for up to 2 wks, but I dare you not to eat it with everything.

Active time: 10m
Total time: 40m
Yields: 1 pint