Vietnamese Shallot Fish Sauce Chutney

Enough flavor for about 50 meals.

My friend, Thu, invented this sauce and served it to me at lunch one day. I demanded her recipe and made it for company two days later, and received rave reviews.

I could eat this on anything. I have had it on tofu (yum) and grilled vegetables (yum) and in my mind it would be perfect with shrimp or other seafood. Thu suggests adding tomatoes if serving it with seafood. I will try that.

She told me the recipe without quantities, so I did my best to quantify it below. Hers was still better, so there is room to perfect the recipe below, but it's a delicious starting point.

The Recipe:

1 medium shallot, minced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tb sugar

1/4 c fish sauce

1 small splash soy sauce

Saute shallot and garlic until golden brown
Add sugar and stir until melted
Add fish sauce and soy sauce and stir
Simmer to slightly thicken the sauce.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A

Overall reason: Unusual and delicious

Time to prepare: 30 minutes

Husband quote: He said he liked it, but I think he didn't love it as much as I do.

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