Ingredients
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1/2 cup warm water, plus more as needed
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3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes), plus more to taste
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2 tablespoons granulated sugar or 3 to 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more to taste
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2 teaspoons rice vinegar (optional)
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3 tablespoons fish sauce (such as Three Crabs), plus more to taste
OPTIONAL ADD-INS
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1/2 small carrot, matchstick-cut or coarsely grated (2 tablespoons)
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1 (1-ounce) Thai chile or serrano chile, unseeded and thinly sliced, or 2 to 3 teaspoon Asian chile-garlic sauce or sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
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1 large garlic clove, minced (1 1/2 teaspoons)
Directions
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Stir together 1/2 cup water, lime juice, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Add additional lime juice and/or sugar to taste; dilute with water if flavors are too strong. If there’s an unpleasant tart-bitter edge, add rice vinegar to fix flavor.
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Stir in fish sauce; add additional fish sauce to taste. (How much you use depends on the brand and your own taste.) Aim for a bold, forward finish that’s a little gutsy. Keep in mind that this sauce typically dresses dishes that include unsalted ingredients such as lettuce and herbs, which will need an extra flavor lift.
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If using, stir in carrot, chile, and/or garlic. (Offer chile on the side if diners are sensitive to its heat.) Serve sauce in a bowl on the table so diners may help themselves, or divide among small individual bowls in advance.
Make Ahead
The sauce can stand at room temperature up to 8 hours until serving. Lime juice dulls and can make the sauce slightly bitter if left longer; combine water, sugar, and fish sauce to make a base, then refrigerate, covered, up to 2 weeks. (Prep a double batch if you use it a lot.) To finish, add lime juice, vinegar (if using), and any desired add-ins.
Notes
VARIATIONS: For a vegetarian nuoc cham: Stir together 3 tablespoons light brown sugar (or 4 to 5 tablespoons pure maple syrup), 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, and a rounded 1/2 teasopon finely ground sea salt in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Taste and add additional sugar or up to 1 teaspoon rice vinegar to round out the lime juice. Stir in 2/3 cup lukewarm water and 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce. Finish with any add-ins before serving.