What's On Your Plate???

[kronin323]

I'd like to start a little sub-topic on this thread; just reply to this post or any other post on this sub-topic to contribute...

What is your "secret ingredient"?

For those of you who cook, do you have a secret ingredient? Something you like to throw in a bunch of different dishes to add a little je ne sais quoi? If a few people show me yours, I'll show you mine...

Ok, mine is.... fish sauce!

Growing up I was taught you could perceive four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. But later a fifth was officially added, umami. It basically means "savory" and is tasted through receptors for glutamate (MSG is the salt form of glutamate). A quality fish sauce is basically pure umami in a bottle...

Fish sauce comes in a lot of varieties from a lot of regions so be careful; there's some nasty stuff out there. On the flip side, there's some varieties with so many extra ingredients it has little in common with the real thing.

But in general it tends to smell like hell but taste really good. And if you use it properly, it doesn't add any noticeable flavor to your food; the food is instead just a little more savory-delicious, an indefinable je ne sais quoi...

Anything that you're mixing up, from some sort of cooking liquid to some sort of mash or puree, just throw in a dash or two of a quality fish sauce. Moderation is key.

Which brand? The best one out there is a Vietnamese fish sauce called Red Boat. It was recommended to me by a James Beard Award-winning chef (Paul Qui). High protein content, basically just the "virgin" pressings of fermented salted anchovies - no added water, preservatives, or MSG.

http://redboatfishsauce.com/

(BTW Worcestershire sauce is technically a fish sauce, too, because it contains anchovies...)

 

[Duke Nivram]

Ok, mine is.... fish sauce!

Growing up I was taught you could perceive four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. But later a fifth was officially added, umami. It basically means "savory" and is tasted through receptors for glutamate (MSG is the salt form of glutamate). A quality fish sauce is basically pure umami in a bottle...

Fish sauce comes in a lot of varieties from a lot of regions so be careful; there's some nasty stuff out there. On the flip side, there's some varieties with so many extra ingredients it has little in common with the real thing.

But in general it tends to smell like hell but taste really good. And if you use it properly, it doesn't add any noticeable flavor to your food; the food is instead just a little more savory-delicious, an indefinable je ne sais quoi...

Anything that you're mixing up, from some sort of cooking liquid to some sort of mash or puree, just throw in a dash or two of a quality fish sauce. Moderation is key.

Which brand? The best one out there is a Vietnamese fish sauce called Red Boat. It was recommended to me by a James Beard Award-winning chef (Paul Qui). High protein content, basically just the "virgin" pressings of fermented salted anchovies - no added water, preservatives, or MSG.

View attachment 108049

http://redboatfishsauce.com/

(BTW Worcestershire sauce is technically a fish sauce, too, because it contains anchovies...)

i use fish sauce whenever i make rice

 

[kronin323]

Maybe you dont get this commercial down where you are at...

 

[702baby]

Ok, mine is.... fish sauce!

Growing up I was taught you could perceive four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. But later a fifth was officially added, umami. It basically means "savory" and is tasted through receptors for glutamate (MSG is the salt form of glutamate). A quality fish sauce is basically pure umami in a bottle...

Fish sauce comes in a lot of varieties from a lot of regions so be careful; there's some nasty stuff out there. On the flip side, there's some varieties with so many extra ingredients it has little in common with the real thing.

But in general it tends to smell like hell but taste really good. And if you use it properly, it doesn't add any noticeable flavor to your food; the food is instead just a little more savory-delicious, an indefinable je ne sais quoi...

Anything that you're mixing up, from some sort of cooking liquid to some sort of mash or puree, just throw in a dash or two of a quality fish sauce. Moderation is key.

Which brand? The best one out there is a Vietnamese fish sauce called Red Boat. It was recommended to me by a James Beard Award-winning chef (Paul Qui). High protein content, basically just the "virgin" pressings of fermented salted anchovies - no added water, preservatives, or MSG.

View attachment 108049

http://redboatfishsauce.com/

(BTW Worcestershire sauce is technically a fish sauce, too, because it contains anchovies...)

interesting

 

[joycy]

 

[Pyu76]

My wifes is butter and mine is perserved tofu.

 

[kronin323]

perserved tofu

You mean preserved "chicken" salad sandwich?

 

[Pyu76]

You mean preserved "chicken" salad sandwich?

Chx,tofu,mayo what can go wrong?

 

[Pyu76]

Chx,tofu,mayo what can go wrong?

Oh wait, they took out the chicken. Thats what went wrong!

 

[GRFMotorsports]