Saeng Wa of Grilled Prawns

[outRIAAge]

I'm wondering if you could sub Worcestershire sauce for the fish sauce. Isn't that what Worcestershire sauce is supposed to be - sort of?

Not a chance. Worcestershire ("Wooster") sauce is indeed Asian, but it's a sauce with its own real flavours. Fish sauce is an MSG-heavy condiment, like greatly-amplified salt. I use it in everything, including ice cream, with no complaints.

Take a deep breath, and embrace that funk!

Addendum: I've actually made fish sauce, without realizing it. I did fisheries research on the Hudson River for the NRC, monitoring the effect that the Indian Point nuclear power station was having on fish. It was the greatest job in the world, swanning around in fishing boats all day, except that we also had to count every last fish that the water-intake screens killed.

In the summer heat, they piled up several feet high on the sorting tables. If we didn't get to them quick enough, a disgusting thick brown stinky fluid would exude from them. We called it "mung" and tried to keep it off our clothes. That's a fair description of fish sauce. (Oh? Did I put you off?)

 

[CraigC]

Worcestershire sauce, originated in India. L&P was the result of an attempt to recreate it in England, commissioned by a retired Bengal governer. The name was taken from his home town in England. Personally I prefer homemade, using a recipe from Emeril.

 

[jennyema]

I'm wondering if you could sub Worcestershire sauce for the fish sauce. Isn't that what Worcestershire sauce is supposed to be - sort of?

No. They don't taste similar at all.

Worcestershire sauce has anchovies and a bunch of other stuff in it. Fish sauce is fermented fish and salt.

Using Worcestershire sauce as a sub would be a horrible mistake. Plus you can buy fish sauce in regular grocery stores these days.

 

[rodentraiser]

I've looked for fish sauce before and could never find it. That's why I asked about Worcestershire sauce. And isn't there an anchovy sauce as well?

Another item to check for in Trader Joe's.

 

[outRIAAge]

I've looked for fish sauce before and could never find it. That's why I asked about Worcestershire sauce. And isn't there an anchovy sauce as well?

It's not hard to find these days, even in standard supermarkets. Most have "Taste of Thai" brand (which I don't recommend as a brand, but if you think for a second about what fish sauce IS, it's hard to imagine making a "bad" one: how exactly would it differ?

An anchovy sauce? There's a whole universe of fish sauces out there, starting with the Ancient Roman garum made from fish guts and blood. It survives today as the Italian Colatura di Alici, which is made from whole anchovies and may be the one you have in mind (either that, or the one called Anchovy Essence.) Worcestershire is mostly made from anchovies.

There are about fifty different Asian styles, but of standard styles, Red Boat 40N from Pho Quoc in Vietnam is considered the pinnacle. To spot any good brand, look for one that contains only fish and salt as ingredients.

Once you embrace the funk, you can explore its outer limits, which would be Padaek from Laos/Issan, a muddy-brown thick liquid with large lumps of fermented gourami-fish in it. I've bred gourami: they're wonderful fish. I've been staring at a bottle of the dang stuff for years now, and am still not tempted to open it.