- 2 partsFish sauce
- 2 partsPalm sugar
- 1 partWater
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fish sauce
- 1/4 cup (55g) grated palm sugar, or caster sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1-2 bird's eye chillies, thinly sliced
- Coriander and sliced spring onion, to finish
- Fry the garlic in the oil in a small pan over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until golden. Scoop it onto paper towel and keep the oil.
- In the same pan, combine the fish sauce, palm sugar and water. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the bubbles turn big and slow and the glaze coats a spoon. Watch it closely; it catches quickly at the end.
- Off the heat, stir in the lime juice, chilli, half the fried garlic and a spoonful of the garlic oil.
- Toss with hot fried wings, then scatter over the rest of the garlic, coriander and spring onion.
This is the glaze behind Vietnamese fish sauce wings, the ones made famous outside Vietnam by restaurants like Pok Pok. It is close to the caramel sauce used in Vietnamese claypot dishes, just thinner and brighter, with lime to cut through.
Do not be put off by the smell when the fish sauce hits the pan. It mellows as it cooks, and what is left is deep, savoury and sweet. Fry the garlic separately so it stays crunchy.
Fried chicken wings and drumsticks, crispy pork belly, fried tofu and roasted Brussels sprouts.
It is the glaze in our Vietnamese fish sauce chicken wings and works brilliantly on ca chien nuoc mam fried fish. Read up on choosing fish sauce and palm sugar, or make nuoc cham for dipping.
Uses this sauce
Recipes that call for this sauce. Make a batch and cook one of these.
Pairs well with
Dishes this sauce suits. These recipes make their own glaze or dressing, so you can swap this sauce in.