Cookbook:Vietnamese Fish Dipping Sauce (Nước mắm pha)

Vietnamese fish sauce is a dipping sauce prepared for use at the table. It contains a more concentrated fish sauce of a similar name.

Ingredients

 * ¼ cups nước mắm (concentrated fish sauce)
 * 1½ cups water
 * 1 tbsp lemon juice
 * 1 tbsp sugar
 * 1 tsp minced garlic or about 2 cloves pressed through a garlic press
 * ½ tsp sambal oelek (a type of hot chile sauce)

Procedure

 * 1) Mix all ingredients together.
 * 2) If desired, bring to a boil that cannot be stirred down.
 * 3) Cover and refrigerate.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * In restaurants it is served in small bowls, one for each diner, often with a bit of julienned carrot on top. It is sometimes served with rolls of various types (summer rolls, spring rolls, Imperial rolls, etc.) and is usually available in Vietnamese restaurants upon request.
 * For home use, some prefer to store it in a squirt bottle and grind the sambal oelek and garlic to a smaller size using a mortar and pestle so that they do not clog the nozzle.
 * You may find the smell quite strong in making this, especially if you decide to boil. Persevere.
 * The Three Crabs Brand of concentrated fish sauce is universally praised. There are many, many other brands.