Nước Chấm

Great, added jalapeño instead of Birds Eye and it still came out great!

I am a lime lover, so this is a great sauce for me! My massive bag of like 97 bird's eye chilies were a month old and shriveled up because I don't use them in many recipes, but they worked. I removed the seeds.

Caution: Keeping sodium under 2300 milligrams per day is recommended. One serving (half a batch) of this is 2124 milligrams.

highly recommend son brand fish sauce which is aged 1 year, you can taste the difference

This was a nice compliment to pork and fish sauce meatballs over coconut jasmine rice with cilantro. Probably would be good drizzle for a bahn mi.

NUOC CHAM PHILLY STYLE (By executive chef from Philly with Vietnamese relatives) 1. Mix together until sugar is dissolved: 5 T sugar (T = tablespoon); 3 T water; 1/3 c. fish sauce [Vietnamese (from city of Phan Thiet is the best) or, if you must, Thai]; ½ c. lime juice. 2. Food process until minced into small pieces: 2 large cloves garlic, peeled; 2 hot peppers, jalapeno or serrano, stems cut off, seeds left in; I medium shallot, peeled. 3. Mix everything and let sit for 30 minutes. RAMPED UP!

This sauce is traditionally made with palm sugar which adds a subtle flavor nuance. The little pucks can be found at most Asian grocery stores. They can be grated directly into the sauce liquid or simmer in a bit of water to make a syrup first to ensure the crystals fully dissolve.

I usually use much less sugar and sometimes none. I also would double the garlic and bird's eye (Thai) peppers. I agree with Michael - no water. First mix lime juice with a bit of water and enough sugar to make limeade to my taste. Add fish sauce until it balances the sweetness. Drop in a crushed garlic clove and some thin rounds of bird's-eye chili, then let sit. am originally from Vietnam. When making nuoc cham, we use very warm water to reduce the pungent smell (as well as the saltiness ) of

Can anyone recommend a modification to nuoc cham that provides the umami while omitting the fish sauce (and its taste and smell)? I see a Whole Foods sauce utilizing seaweed being suggested, but it's described as having a fishy taste of its own, so would still prove unpalatable for me. Thanks.

¼ c = 2 oz = 4 Tbsp. No need to introduce another measuring device. Measure the sugar first.

Instead of chilis, you can use a tablespoon of sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce.

I am also Vietnamese, you can also added julienne carrots to enhance the look of the sauce.

I always see clear nuoc cham yet mine is cloudy from the lime juice. Thoughts?

My lovely Vietnamese sister-in-law taught me to use coconut soda as a short cut and easy addition to her nuoc cham. Everything else is pretty much the same but it makes a larger quantity that keeps well refrigerated for months.

Fish sauce flavor varies from brand to brand. I was taught make nuoc cham by first mixing lime juice with a bit of water and enough sugar to make limeade to my taste. Add fish sauce until it balances the sweetness. Drop in a crushed garlic clove and some thin rounds of bird's-eye chili, then let sit. Quantities are adjusted to my palate, so it's perfect every time.