The Fish Sauce Cookbook

I have very recently discovered how tasty dishes with fish sauce can be. All the recipes look so good I'm having trouble finding one to start with. :)

A very unique cookbook, which takes an ingredient that seems challenging and makes it less scary. I'm excited to try any number of these recipes.

I do use fish sauce in my cooking – probably about once a week – but the thought of a whole cookbook devoted to fish sauce really intrigued me. I am always on the look out for new recipes and new ways to use old ingredients. Reading the introduction made me aware that although I’ve been using fish sauce for over a decade, I really didn’t know much about it, or really appreciate its versatility or variety. The rest of the book is devoted to a wonderful array of tempting recipes separated into type of dish, often accompanied by lovely pictures of the finished product. Each recipe is headed by comments from and about the chef providing it, as well as the brand of fish sauce used. All adding to the attraction of the book. The recipes are often quite involved, and require a certain amount of time and proficiency in the kitchen. My husband (chief dishwasher) wants me to add that the recipes seem to create a mountain of washing up.
The recipes are written for the American market, and some of the ingredients and utensils named might require translating for an English cook. I have discovered that a Dutch Oven is just a heavy casserole dish. Some ingredients I have had to substitute, either due to cost or availability, when making the recipes. US to metric measure conversions are helpfully given in appendix The desserts and cocktails didn’t really appeal to me, but I have been working my way through the other sections of the book. I also decided, that while I am very pleased to have recipes for making fish sauce, it is not something I am likely to do. I will stick to the bottled stuff and eat the small fish. Here are some of the recipes I have tried.
Braised Duck with ginger lime Slaw (p28). The duck legs were very tender and came off the bone beautifully. Unfortunately the marinade of garlic and ginger was lost in the cooking and although the end product was very nice, it wasn’t what I had expected. The ginger lime slaw was a bit of a mystery. Where was the lime? Sweet and Spicy caramel Corn (p31). Very nice and moreish, but quite fiddly to make.
Crab Fat Wings (p41). I love chicken wings, so this recipe immediately got my attention. They were deliciously messy – both in creating them and eating them. The coating is very sweet, and we were not able to eat all that we had cooked in one go. They were still ok the next day for breakfast – but best eaten hot. Would like to try this recipe again.
The two biggest hits at home were the Mustard and Beer Glazed Brisket (p70), and the Rice-seared Red Trout (p85). The trout recipe was quite delicate, and all the ingredients could be tasted. The brisket was so incredibly rich, the fish sauce really accenting the taste. We had this three nights in a row as there was so much of it – and enjoyed every bit. Both these recipes have moved on to my “must be repeated” list.
There are many more recipes in the book that I want to try, but we have agreed that it is not a good idea to have fish sauce recipes every day – it does get a bit overpowering. I got a bit carried away, and now we need a break. The other downside of eating too many of these recipes all at once is the amount of sugar required. Many of the recipes are very sweet.
I would definitely recommend this book. It is unusual, interesting and has some fascinating information and recipes. You will never look at a bottle of fish sauce in the same way again. Happing cooking.

Some great recipe ideas to try. A great compilation.

I was very happy to see that someone finally wrote a book about this wonderful fermented ingredient. I use fish sauce on a daily basis and find it adds a depth and richness of flavor to any dish. I was impressed with the variety of recipes and well researched information on the types and process involved in making fish sauce. A very interesting and well researched book. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Previous to reading this cookbook, I had found fish sauce to be a daunting ingredient to use, or only sparingly, if at all. Compiled with many recipes from chefs around the world make this book a handy reference. Not too sure about using fish sauce in desserts, but you never know.