The Fish Sauce Alton Brown Can't Stop Using
There are many foods that simply must be tasted to be believed. Case in point: blue cheese, moldy cured meats, kimchi, liver and onions. After all, somebody had to be the first to try these foods to vouch for their deliciousness and to help perfect their craft for the future. Fish sauce excels in this category. BBC Good Food describes it as a seasoning made from fermented fish or shrimp with a distinctive assertive smell and taste that leans toward the briny rather than fish-flavored. It's generally bottled as clear brown liquid and is popular in southeast Asian cooking and increasingly beyond. To make it, ScienceDirect explains that salted whole fish break down under specific conditions for 3 to 12 months, yielding a clear brown liquid that is fish sauce.
Fish sauce — or something like it — has been eaten for many thousands of years. World History writes that the economies of nations in the Mediterranean region leaned heavily on the making and distribution of the product and that it even reached Britain. Roman fish sauce, or garum, was a kitchen staple and may have reached Asia through overland trade routes, World History adds.
Known as something of a culinary mad genius, it totally makes sense that Alton Brown would gravitate toward an ancient product made from the alchemical transmutation of rotting fish that happens to work wonders in cooking. But the chef and show host has one particular brand he especially loves, per Publicism.
Alton Brown loves Red Boat fish sauce
Brand loyalty is commonplace in the professional cooking world — and celebrity chefs love their secret, favorite ingredients. Alton Brown's favorite fish sauce is Red Boat, shares Publicism, and he calls for fish sauce in traditional preparations like Pad Thai as well as side dishes like his Sesame Peanut Sprouts. Founded by Cuong Pham, who immigrated from Vietnam in 1979 (per Los Angeles Times), Red Boat is a fish sauce renowned for its purity (made with just two ingredients: anchovies and salt, per the brand) that Our Daily Brine described in their blind test of fish sauces as simple, salty, freshly oceanic, with notes of oolong tea, caramelized onions, and a bit of sweetness.
Unfortunately, The Woks of Life cautions that Red Boat can be hard to track down at typical grocery stores, so it's good to have other options in mind. They report (via Our Daily Brine) that New Town, Tiparos, and smoky artisanal collaboration BLiS are sound alternatives. It's good to have a backup brand because chefs really love Red Boat and might beat you to the market.
How to use fish sauce in your cooking
Culinarily, fish sauce is similar to Worcestershire sauce, which actually contains anchovies itself. It's got a deeply umami flavor and is not fishy at all. Its light texture makes it suitable for adding it to sauces, salad dressings, and marinades and for braising meat and fish – doubling down on rich seafood flavor. The Woks of Life describes it as indispensable in the cuisines of Southeast Asia, where it's used in everything from dipping sauces to rice to basil beef and noodle dishes. Add a few dashes to your chili or try it with vegetables like Alton Brown does. If you have a seafood allergy or don't do fish, The Woks of Life recommends mushroom-flavored soy sauce or vegan kelp fish sauce.
According to The Guardian's Palisa Anderson, seek out a big bottle of high quality fish sauce. She recommends brands that have at least three ingredients (including fish, of course) but ideally exclude preservatives, artificial colors, and additives like MSG. She reminds home cooks that fish sauces' individual characteristics depend on what species of fish (or even other sea creatures) make up the sauce, the production process, and other details. So, it's worth experimenting and getting to know different versions.
While fish sauce may be the ultimate "tastes better than it smells" food, it will take your breath away by adding an impressive depth of flavor to your next dish.