{"id":2538,"date":"2021-06-14T12:53:25","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T12:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/?p=2538"},"modified":"2023-02-06T17:34:50","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T17:34:50","slug":"fermented-fish-sauce-makes-your-recipes-great","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/fermented-fish-sauce-makes-your-recipes-great\/","title":{"rendered":"Fermented fish sauce makes your recipes great."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Want to add some much <em>umami <\/em>to your recipes? Try fermented fish sauce. This pungent condiment can impart some depth to your cooking, and you won&#8217;t even need to add a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we&#8217;ll talk about its nutrition, calories, and how to make this delicious sauce at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/RChVFfmrL0oBrWD4LDluGWsa10J15MHfuF44imVv94PSg-ouf4e1iRKsBFK8H_z9ltmJ4NWSUhsCKocIsc3v4eOuX_OE7mOJoGN4vA_2YDC03itmOLkvhCKu7bYgioRpdEs5HYSJ\" alt=\"A white ceramic bowl on wooden surface, containing fish sauce.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A white ceramic bowl on wooden surface, containing fish sauce.<br>(Image credits: Percy Pham via Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is fermented fish sauce?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This condiment has some history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The earliest people known to use fish sauce in their food were the Greeks, and then the Romans. (They say Rome wasn&#8217;t built in a day. But maybe it could have been, if everyone wasn&#8217;t so busy stuffing their faces with fish sauce&#8230;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But despite this long history, fish sauce is mostly used these days in Asian cuisine. China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia are all fish sauce hotspots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for what it is, it&#8217;s a liquid condiment made from fish that have been salted and fermented. That fermentation process can last anywhere from a few days to a few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The longer the fish is fermented, the richer and more savory it tastes. A shorter fermentation period will make more of the fish taste come out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Nutrition and calories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A <strong>tablespoon (16 g)<\/strong> of fermented fish sauce contains the following nutrition and calories (<a href=\"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/fdc-app.html#\/food-details\/1099270\/nutrients\">1<\/a>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Energy: 5.6 kcal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Water: 11.4 g<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Carbohydrate: 0.582 g<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Protein: 0.81 g<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Total fat: 2 mg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Calcium: 6.88 mg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Iron: 0.125 mg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Magnesium: 28 mg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Potassium: 46.1 mg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sodium: 1260 mg<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know what fermented fish sauce is, and what its nutrition profile is, let&#8217;s look at how to make it at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to make at home<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/gwJJZD9cfSdoOGCj7ivBGO9O_Iequfaw5H2iKmAanHPXY3-3afhE1aqatzsGLb5lszfHPcMzx1pIjsoG7-t9C7-nlrcJbHNv2liQ1lFAIfbfLX0McSsA2_OMuh1BYY7koMQPV9gN\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Image credits: Mogens Petersen via Pixabay<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people buy fish sauce from supermarkets or grocers because they think it just isn&#8217;t something you can make at home. But the thing is, you absolutely can make it yourself. It just takes a bit of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s how to make fermented fish sauce at home, courtesy of<a href=\"https:\/\/nourishingjoy.com\/homemade-fish-sauce\/\"> Nourishing Joy<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ingredients<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Zest from 1 small lemon (optional)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>3 tablespoons finely ground sea salt<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>6 bay leaves<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2\u20133 teaspoons whole black peppercorns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 1\/2 pounds small whole fish (smelt, herring, etc)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1\u20132 cups non-chlorinated water, as needed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 tablespoons sauerkraut brine OR fresh whey OR 1 teaspoon additional sea salt<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Instructions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Muddle the garlic and the lemon zest together with the sea salt.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rinse the fish, then cut them into 1\/2-inch pieces. (If they&#8217;re too big, you&#8217;ll end up with lovely pickled fish, but not much sauce.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Toss the fish pieces (including the heads and tails) in the muddled salt mixture to completely coat the fish.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add in the peppercorns and bay leaves, then lightly pack the mixture into a clean 1-quart mason jar. Pressing down on the pieces as you go to release the juices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pour the sauerkraut brine or whey into the jar, then pour in as much water as needed to completely submerge the fish. Be sure to leave at least 1-inch of headspace at the top of the jar, as the mixture will expand as it ferments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days, then move to the refrigerator and let sit for 4-6 weeks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Double strain the mixture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and discard the solids. Store in glass bottles in the refrigerator for 4-6 months.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>And there you have it. Fish sauce made at home. Plus this DIY&#8217;ed version will taste better than any store-bought fish sauce by a nautical mile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you have your own bottle of the stuff, let&#8217;s look at how you can use fish sauce in your own recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Recipe ideas<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can&#8217;t really go wrong with fish sauce. You don&#8217;t need a lot of it, either. A splash here and a drizzle there, and there you have it. Your recipe is an order of magnitude more delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are 5 ways you can get your dinner guests&#8217; mouths to water, all with the magic of fermented fish sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Recipes courtesy of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bonappetit.com\/recipes\/slideshow\/fish-sauce-recipes\"> Bon App\u00e9tit<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Sambal chicken skewers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing as fish sauce is a staple in many Asian cuisines, we&#8217;ll start off with an Asian recipe. This recipe is an oriental take on kebabs (which are Middle Eastern, by the way).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can check out how to make sambal chicken skewers<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bonappetit.com\/recipe\/sambal-chicken-skewers\"> here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Chicken and green papaya salad<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A tasty, almost Vietnamese-style dish. This salad is actually a bit sweet, owing to a bit of sugar in the recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check it out<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bonappetit.com\/recipe\/chicken-and-green-papaya-salad\"> here<\/a> if you&#8217;re looking a different spin on the good ol&#8217; salad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Pickled beef tostadas with tomatillo salsa<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Have some leftover meat around the kitchen? Try this recipe, which will turn your beef and pork into crunchy &#8220;almost-tacos&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Go<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bonappetit.com\/recipe\/pickled-beef-tostadas-with-tomatillo-salsa\"> here<\/a> for this fun leftover buster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Crab fat-caramel wings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the name itself doesn&#8217;t have your mouth watering, this will: you don&#8217;t even need crabs to make this recipe come to life. Fish sauce and some shrimp paste will do the trick. No one can tell the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn how to make this mind-altering recipe<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bonappetit.com\/recipe\/crab-fat-caramel-wings\"> here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Waterfall pork<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>And bringing up the rear, our final recipe recommendation is a hot one. Extremely hot. You might need some ice cubes for the burn. Sure, the fresh herbs might help temper the flames, but you don&#8217;t want to risk this one&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out this flamer of a recipe<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bonappetit.com\/recipe\/waterfall-pork\"> here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fermented fish sauce was meant to be a way to make use of leftover fish bits. This means you don&#8217;t need to go out of your way to make it home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you make a fish recipe someday, save the leftovers. A delicious sauce might come of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we said, you make just about any recipe &#8220;pop&#8221; with a bit of fish sauce. Have you experimented with the magic condiment? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to add some much umami to your recipes? Try fermented fish sauce. This pungent condiment can impart some depth to your cooking, and you won&#8217;t even need to add a lot. In this article, we&#8217;ll talk about its nutrition, calories, and how to make this delicious sauce at home. What is fermented fish sauce?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[321,12,114],"tags":[618,621,611,619,616,612,614,615,613,620,617,622],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2538"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizfoodz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}