Fish Sauce???

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I keep trying fish sauce in recipes and I cannot get past the fishy flavor. I use the brand that ATK recommends, and usually less than the amount the recipe calls for, but the flavor still seems to permeate the dish I'm making.

My gourmet-cooking friend tells me that it adds umami and that you can't taste it in the final dish. I can, and I detest anything fishy-tasting.

I think I've tossed nearly 2 full bottles and am about to toss the third one that's in my fridge.

Is it possible that my taste buds are overly sensitive to fish sauce?

Lee
 

SilverSage

Resident Crone
I don't find it fishy tasting, just a little funky. The best brand is Red Boat.

Fish sauce is primarily fermented anchovies, hence the funky, fermented scent. But it's really more of a scent than a taste. If the sweet, salty, sour, bitter and funk are well balanced, you shouldn't taste the fish sauce. It's a low note behind all of the others. First, try cutting back on it. If you still get a strong funky flavor, Add more of the sweet, salt, or sour. Lime juice is good at masking an overdose of fish sauce.
 

medtran49

Well-known member
Gold Site Supporter
I keep trying fish sauce in recipes and I cannot get past the fishy flavor. I use the brand that ATK recommends, and usually less than the amount the recipe calls for, but the flavor still seems to permeate the dish I'm making.

My gourmet-cooking friend tells me that it adds umami and that you can't taste it in the final dish. I can, and I detest anything fishy-tasting.

I think I've tossed nearly 2 full bottles and am about to toss the third one that's in my fridge.

Is it possible that my taste buds are overly sensitive to fish sauce?

Lee

I'm that way too, same with cinnamon. Have to reduce both. In fact, Craig made something with anchovies recently and I didn't realize they were in the recipe until I took my first bite. Back out it came and I had to gargle multiple times to get rid of the taste. Obviously, I had something else for dinner.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Hmmmm.

Red Boat is the brand I have, SS.

Maybe it IS the fermented funk, more than the fishy that I can't take, as I like anchovies in my Caesar salad and in puttanesca.

I wonder if I could substitute minced anchovies for the fish sauce in recipes.

Thanks, you two!

Lee
 

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
Hmmmm.

Red Boat is the brand I have, SS.

Maybe it IS the fermented funk, more than the fishy that I can't take, as I like anchovies in my Caesar salad and in puttanesca.

I wonder if I could substitute minced anchovies for the fish sauce in recipes.

Thanks, you two!

Lee

I would maybe sub anchovy paste for the fish sauce. You could dissolve it in some oil first. Then add to recipe.
 
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