Nuoc Cham
If you’re not familiar with nuoc cham, pay attention. It’s basically magic. What’s more, the magic is incredibly simple. Nuoc cham is a Vietnamese dipping sauce made of equal parts fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Most recipes include minced garlic and bird’s eye chili, but the trifecta is the key. Whisk furiously, and you’re done.
This week’s Meal Plan features nuoc cham as a salad dressing (served with seared flank steak or pressed five-spice tofu). It’s savory, sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. Too many notes? Not at all. Nuoc cham is a perfect example of tension and balance.
When creating a dish, we ask ourselves “what does it need?” Very often, the answer is “a little acid” (like fresh lemon juice) or “a little kick” (like chili flake). The answer could also be more foundational: a greater depth of flavor (umami). With nuoc cham’s trifecta, we have three distinct, bold flavors. This creates tension, each flavor pulling the taste buds in a different direction. When the ratio of sour, sweet, and salty is balanced perfectly, however, the flavors blend in delicious harmony. Like striking a chord.
Savory, sweet, and sour is an ancient relationship. Tomato ketchup and nuoc cham share the same history, both deriving from fermented fish pastes of southern China. Preserved fish-based sauces spread across southeast Asia before being taken and scattered by Europeans. Until the tomato-based form took over, “ketchup” was made of almost any umami-ready ingredient, from walnut, plum, and mushroom to oyster, anchovy, and citrus peel. The common thread is the concentration of flavor (by fermentation, or long cooking times) and a combination with other strong flavors to create tension. Note that nuoc cham is a quick preparation because the fish sauce has already undergone the fermentation process.
The next time you’re finishing a new dish, taste for tension and balance. Use the flavor points of nuoc cham as a guide: savory, sweet, salty, sour, and spicy.
One more thing: an important corollary that’s often overlooked. Not everything needs balance. Macaroni and cheese is a great example of zero balance. The dish hammers on one note. All starch, all cheese, all savory, and it’s amazing.
We’re glad you’re cooking with us.
Cheers,
Sten and Mac
Chef Snacks
Cooking Tip
Dry-brine your meat. Don’t be scared. Dry-brining is just salting generously and then resting food before cooking. Salt and time. Air circulation is key, so leave it in the fridge, uncovered on a resting rack, for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. The salt draws out moisture, which is then reabsorbed throughout, resulting in better moisture retention and more even seasoning. This process also dries out the surface of the meat, which helps create a crust when searing.
How long? It depends on the size and firmness of the cut. For larger cuts (roasts, shoulders, whole birds, even big steaks), it’s best to let them brine overnight. For smaller cuts (chops, small steaks, chicken breasts), a few hours should do it. Fish is the most sensitive: 15-30 minutes (any longer and it will begin to cure). If you’re short on time, you can start cooking as soon as the surface of the meat looks dry.
Nuoc Cham Recipe
Makes about 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 thai chili, minced
Whisk together all of the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust.
Fresh citrus begins losing its brightness the moment it is juiced. The sauce will keep in the fridge for at least a week but better to use it sooner rather than later.
Around the Sound
We still have a few tickets available for our summer Solstice Dinner at A&K Alder Farm. Want to spend the longest day of the year eating a multicourse meal in a beautiful orchard? Email us for more details!
