Billie
Nguyen from Jax, Florida, is a frequent visitor to the kitchen. On one
occassion, a recipe prompted her to send this great story and her practical
tips on making the ubuiquitous nuoc cham dipping sauce:
I was just
reading your nuoc cham section
and it brought back a memory which wasn't so funny then, but can be
chuckled at now. I was 13 or 14, not very experienced with cooking then.
My mom had gone to CA for a week visiting her family so Dad and 3 of
us were left fending for ourselves. Well, apparently my Dad wasn't well
versed in Vietnamese cooking either because he made the most awful nuoc
cham that tasted like he just poured it out of the bottle undiluted!
He made a lot too - I think because he kept trying to adjust the flavors
and it wouldn't come out right so he ended up with a big bowl of gross
liquid, which I felt wasn't palatable enough so I poured it down the
drain! Omigod, from his reaction, you would've thought he just found
out I was pregnant with a 2-headed baby or something - he was so furious
and horrified! Now that I realize you can adjust the key ingredients
to correct a nuoc cham, I can understand why he was so mad - it was
such a waste!
Anyways, I like the 3 Crab brand too and I've learned to make perfect
fish sauce everytime by using a 1:1:1 ratio of nuoc mam, lime juice
& sugar then adding chili sauce and enough water to taste. When
we use it as dipping sauce, I dilute with maybe 1 part water; if it's
to used over bun, then I'll increase to 3 parts water. Even my Americanized
husband could not mess this recipe up :) Another variation is no dilution
with water, and adding lots of crushed cilantro leaves (using a mortar
& pestle) to create an intense cilantro flavored sauce, which would
complement many bland meats, but which I use most often over baked salmon
(when we feel like eating healthy).
If you want
to share some of your food stories, feel free to email me (use the link
below!).
Billie
Nguyen from Jax, Florida, is a frequent visitor to the kitchen. On one
occassion, a recipe prompted her to send this great story and her practical
tips on making the ubuiquitous nuoc cham dipping sauce: