While fish sauce is a staple in many Asian countries, in the West, most prefer its cousin, ketchup. To break down some culinary walls, Asian food expert, Andrea Nguyen just published a great article in the Wall Street Journal about how to employ fish sauce in non-Asian cuisine.
Andrea picked up the idea from Mr. Lap Huynh, a Vietnamese chef and owner of several French restaurants in California and friend of her father in the 1980s and '90s. He once revealed that he used fish sauce as a base in many of his dishes as it adds an element of umami (the Japanese word for savory flavor).
Andrea tucked the tip away and has been adding it to enhance the flavor of her dishes ever since.
She goes on to recommend 3 western dishes where fish sauce can add to the traditional flavor profile - Lazy Day Caesar Salad, Tuscan Chicken Liver Crostini and Bucatini With Tomato, Pancetta and Chilies.
Fantastic.
Head over to the Wall Street Journal for a fill list of ingredients and step-by-step cooking instructions for these dishes.
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- Nuoc Mam: Ketchup’s Great-grandfather
- Can Vietnamese Fish Sauce Become an International Hit?
[Photos via Andrea_Nguyen, Charlievdb and thomaswanhoff]
