Nuoc Cham (Gluten-Free)
Laura Russell is a food writer, recipe developer and cookbook author.
Reprinted with permission from The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen: Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, and More. Copyright © 2011 by Laura B. Russell, Ten Speed Press. Photo Credit: Leo Gong.
Metric conversions added by The Cook’s Cook.
Nuoc cham is a staple of the Vietnamese table and enhances recipes throughout Laura’s cookbook. The sauce is very basic, yet it introduces a balance of sweet, tart, salty, and spicy to your meal. A prepared recipe can be kept, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients
- 66.7 grams (⅓ cup) sugar
- 59 ml (¼ cup) Asian fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Preparation
In a small bowl, combine the sugar with 237 ml (1 cup) very warm tap water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
Laura Russell
Laura Russell is a food writer and recipe developer based in Portland, Oregon. She is an Oregonian “FoodDay” columnist, and author of Brassicas and The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen. Find Laura at website or on Instagram or Twitter @laurabrussell.
Photo credit: Dina Avila
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