Fish Sauce: The Water of Life
By Sidonie Maroon, Culinary Educator for The Food Co-op
A Chance Encounter
Walking through the Uptown Farmers Market, I came across a small handmade cookbook titled Speculative Cookery by Hans Barr, printed by Meeting Place Chapbooks. The title and design caught my eye, so I shook hands with the author-chef and bought a copy. Barr writes about food with a knowledge and reverence that is rare. His voice reminds me of Richard Olney, so I retrieved my copy of Simple French Food to compare. Both authors have a way of exploring the inner life of food while sharing inspiring methods.
The Water of Life
One passage from Speculative Cookery particularly stayed with me: “Although the Gaelic refer to whiskey as the water of life, fish sauce is the rightful recipient of this title.” I couldn’t agree more, and I knew that Barr was working at a metaphysical level with food because fish sauce is such a transformative ingredient. It’s nothing short of alchemical and makes ordinary dishes into gold.
A Kitchen Staple
The fish sauce I love is Red Boat, a premium brand made with just anchovies and salt. It’s a staple in my kitchen. I use it in soups, salad dressings, meatloaf, marinades, sauces, and beyond. One of my favorite tricks is replacing anchovy paste with fish sauce in Caesar salad dressing. It’s easier to use and just as effective. Fish sauce adds a quiet complexity to food, enhancing the flavors and creating a sense of balance.
The Secret of Umami
The secret to fish sauce lies in umami, often called the “fifth taste” alongside sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Umami is the savory quality that makes foods like Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, and soy sauce satisfying. Fish sauce is packed with umami, thanks to the process of fermentation.
How It’s Made
To make fish sauce, small fish like anchovies are layered with salt and left to ferment for months or even years. During this time, enzymes break down the proteins in the fish into free amino acids, including glutamate, which is responsible for the distinct umami flavor. The liquid that forms is then strained and bottled, creating the amber-colored condiment that is a cornerstone of Southeast Asian cooking.
A Fascinating History
Fish sauce has a long history. The ancient Romans had their own version called garum, a fermented fish condiment that served a similar purpose. In Southeast Asia, fish sauce has been a staple for centuries, with each region developing its own variations. Vietnamese nuoc mam is prized for its purity and depth, while Thai nam pla often has a sweeter character.
Kitchen Versatility
What makes fish sauce so useful is its versatility. While it’s essential in Southeast Asian dishes like pad Thai and Vietnamese pho, it works just as well in unexpected places. I use it to enhance Italian pasta sauces, deepen the flavor of homemade ketchup, and add complexity to beef stews. Fish sauce blends into dishes, improving their flavor without calling attention to itself. A small amount can take a dish from ordinary to exceptional.
An Invitation to Experiment
Hans Barr was right: fish sauce is the water of life. It’s a simple ingredient, rooted in tradition, that has the power to transform food. If you’ve never cooked with fish sauce, I encourage you to try it. Add it to soup, a marinade, or a sauce, and see how it changes the dish. You might find, as I have, that it becomes one of the most important ingredients in your kitchen.
Mi Ga Vietnamese Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
Make this satisfying flavorful noodle soup when you have leftover roasted chicken and bones to make stock. It’s easy when you put the Instant Pot to work.
Serves 4
For the broth
6 cups unsalted chicken broth, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice, preferably freshly ground (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, more for the table
2 teaspoons maple syrup or sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
For the soup
4 cups baby spinach or bok choy, halved lengthwise and cut on the diagonal about 2 inches long
2 cups roasted chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
8 ounces dried Chinese noodles, ramen or soba noodles. Cook according to the directions on the package and drain.
For the garnish
½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 scallions, sliced
toasted sesame oil
freshly ground black pepper
Add the chicken broth, ginger, garlic, onion, fish sauce, soy sauce and Chinese five spice to the Instant Pot. Set to the broth cycle, or 30 minutes at high pressure with an instant release. Alternately, in a soup pot, bring the ingredients to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the broth through a sieve lined with muslin. The broth should be clear. Bring the broth back to a simmer using the saute setting. Add the spinach or bok choy and cook for about 1 minute. Taste and add the toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar and maple syrup or sugar. Correct as wanted. Keep the broth hot at a low simmer.
While the broth is cooking, prepare the other ingredients. Divide the noodles and chicken between four deep bowls. Lightly dust the chicken with a pinch of Chinese five spice. Add the hot broth and top with the cilantro and scallions. Let the diners add fresh black pepper if they wish.
Extra tip: keep the bowls, noodles and chicken warm in the oven set at 140F
Chinese Five Spice
Makes ¼ cup
Toast the star anise, cloves, peppercorns and fennel. Mix in the cinnamon and using a spice grinder, grind into a powder.
1 tablespoon star anise pieces
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon ground cassia cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 ½ teaspoons Sichuan pepper or black peppercorns
Tuong Ot Xa
Traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce for spring rolls and other delights
Makes a little over a cup
Juice of three limes plus zest
⅔ cup water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
4 or 5 tablespoons red boat fish sauce
1 serrano chili finely sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
Melt the sugar and water together in a pot on low heat. Add the lime juice, zest and rice vinegar. Taste after adding each tablespoon of fish sauce until it’s balanced between salty, sour, heat and sweet. Pound the garlic and chili together with a pinch of sugar to release their flavors, and add to the sauce.
Tuscan Kale Pesto
Makes 1 ½ cups
This cavolo nero, black Italian kale pesto is handy to have in the refrigerator to dress pasta, white beans, or to spread on toast. It’s a delightful dark green and sumptuous. Remember to save your blanching water to boil pasta, or as a base for broth making. This technique will also work with cabbage, and other sturdy greens with variations in the blanching times. It’s a must have recipe for kale raab and its cousins.
4 cups black Italian kale, chopped with tender stems included
2 cups parsley including stems, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon sea salt, for blanching water
1 teaspoon anchovy fish sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Before preparing the ingredients, fill a pasta pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the salt once it’s boiling.
Once the water is boiling, add the kale, parsley and sage and bring it back to a boil before timing 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, or when the kale is tender, use a skimmer/strainer to remove the greens from the water. Save the water for pasta or broth.
Shake the excess water off of the greens and add to a blender or food processor with the other ingredients. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt if needed. I use a Vitamix to make it ultra smooth, but it’s not needed.
Serve or refrigerate and use within a few days.
Tomato Chicken Fricassee with White Wine and Porcini
Instant Pot
Serves 4
Porcini and tomatoes are one of my favorite combinations; paired with white wine and chicken makes it a scrumptious, yet simple fricassee. It comes together easily in the Instant Pot, especially when you double line the steamer basket with parchment paper to make an easy clean-up bowl that sets above the water in the inner pot. You will never get a burn signal using this method.
2 lbs chicken thighs
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons minced garlic
12 dried porcini mushrooms (about 1.5 ounces) or medley of dried mushrooms
14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, or equivalent of fresh
2 teaspoons anchovy fish sauce (Red Boat)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
Double line an Instant Pot tall mesh steamer basket with parchment paper. I crinkle up two lengths of parchment into balls and unwrap them. This makes them easier to fit into the round steamer. The parchments should come up the sides to contain the sauce and chicken juices. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Add the chicken thighs to the steamer basket and coat with the wine, tomatoes, garlic, dried mushrooms, fish sauce, salt and red pepper flakes. Set the instant Pot to 30 minutes at high pressure with a natural release.
When done, use the parchment paper to lift out of the steamer into a serving dish. Take the mushrooms out, and slice them. Break apart the thighs with a fork, stir in the sliced mushrooms and balsamic vinegar, taste for salt and top Italian parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: Other dried mushrooms work well with this recipe. I’ve used dried shiitakes to great effect.