Never heard of it? Well you will be so incredibly happy you have now! Nuoc Cham is ubiquitous (means it exists everywhere) in Vietnamese cuisine. It shows up everywhere as a classic dipping sauce and dressing for noodles, salad, rice, fish or chicken. The ingredients sound disgusting together but the result is a perfect balanced blend of sweet, sour, salty, spicy and unami flavors. When I first found it, I did not know how versatile it was so I only used it to marinade chicken, fish and occasionally steak. Used as such, I love to marinade overnight in the fridge. It is fabulous for that purpose and gives a very subtle kick to everything. When I use it as a marinade, I always set some aside to toss the cooked entree in before serving. Make extra! You will find it is good on everything from sliced cucumbers to rice to a perfect dipping sauce for spring rolls.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup lime juice
- 1/3 cup fish sauce (= 16 teaspoons in case you ever make a 1/2 recipe)
- 6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sugar (=20 teaspoons)
- 8 cloves of minced garlic
- 4 thai chilies, thinly sliced and diced (or 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes)
Enjoy!