Kosher Fish Sauce - Located

Amarante

Sun, Aug 23 2015, 9:46 am

There are many interesting recipes now that have fish sauce as an ingredient and there did not seem to be a kosher fish sauce - or even an acceptable substitute. Soy sauce or any of the other subs I have read really wouldn't be the same because frankly, if the recipe wanted soy to be used, they would have specified soy. Fish sauce like real Worcestershire sauce has a fermentation of fish adding to the umami.

I was so excited last night when I was reading the Cook's Illustrated Vegetarian Cookbook to find their recommendation for a veggie fish sauce - which turned out to be kosher (KSA) as well as a recipe for making what they feel is an authentic substitution. CI is pretty much the holy grail in terms of recommending food product so I doubt they would recommend or provide a recipe for something that wasn't up to their standards.

Here's the information - All those Thai dishes (for starters) can now be made with more authenticity. Very Happy

Excerpt From: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen. “The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook: A Fresh Guide to Eating Well with 700 Foolproof Recipes.

Traditional fish sauce is a salty, amber-colored liquid made from fermented fish. It’s rich in glutamates, taste bud stimulators that give food the meaty, savory flavor known as umami. Many recipes in Asian cuisines rely on fish sauce to provide a distinctive rich, salty, fermented flavor.

In search of a convenient vegetarian alternative, we found a variety of brands that offered a “vegetarian fish sauce.” These sauces varied drastically in consistency (some were thick, some were thin), ingredients (some were fruit-flavored, others were mushroom based), and flavor (some were simply funky, some almost cheese-flavored). Overall, the products were inconsistent, and none of them were similar enough to traditional fish sauce to make a reliable substitute.

Luckily, with a little more research, we discovered Bragg Liquid Aminos. Made from 16 amino acids derived from soybeans (amino acids are the structural units that make up proteins), it is advertised as a healthy alternative to soy sauce. Tasters found it to be surprisingly similar to fish sauce, offering a great saltiness, with a bit of fermented flavor.

We also wanted to develop an option for a homemade substitute for fish sauce. We started with a base of water and soy sauce, which is rich in meaty-tasting glutamates, then we looked for ingredients that would amplify its savory flavor. Dried shiitake mushrooms “turned out to be the solution—they are rich in flavor-amplifying compounds called nucleotides. When used together, nucleotides and glutamates can boost savory, umami-like flavors exponentially. Simmering both the dried mushrooms and soy sauce in a salty broth provided just the right meaty punch; this recipe worked perfectly as a 1:1 substitute for fish sauce.”

“VEGETARIAN FISH SAUCE SUBSTITUTE

MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS

In order for this recipe to be gluten-free, you must use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

3 cups water
3 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ ounce dried sliced shiitake mushrooms

Simmer all ingredients in large saucepan over medium heat until mixture is reduced by half, about 20 to 30 minutes. Strain liquid and let cool completely. (Fish sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.)”

ally

Sun, Aug 23 2015, 11:40 am

A while ago, I saw a kosher fish sauce made from anchovies.
I am not sure if it still exists though.

Chana Miriam S

Sun, Aug 23 2015, 1:29 pm

I bought frozen whole anchovies, salted and fermented them and then clarified with a raft of egg white. It wasn't stinky enough for my taste, but whatever.

you can always add anchovies to non meat things as well. they really do it admirably but just lack the stinky saltiness.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Aug 23 2015, 2:51 pm

Funny story:

I was told to bring Braggs Aminos with me to Israel, because it was hard to find and expensive in some areas. I love the stuff, so I put a few bottles on my lift.

At the last minute I found one more bottle that was hiding in my cupboards, and shoved it in my suitcase. Well, TSA decided to open it, and didn't close it all the way. When I got to Israel my sheitel and half my clothes were soaked!

I've never been so happy NOT to have real fish sauce in my life. LOL

(At least Braggs washes out easily. Wink

)

MagentaYenta

Sun, Aug 23 2015, 3:12 pm

andrea levy wrote:

I've never bothered to clarify with the egg whites, and I've found that fresh herring and mackerel work well. I really want to try a batch with salmon the next time I need a batch. But for me a batch lasts for a year. I do notice it still gets better with age in the fridge.

Amarante

Sun, Aug 23 2015, 5:34 pm

But if you make sauce with fish, you couldn't use it fir meat dishes. Many if tne Asian recipes use chicken or beef as the protein.

Ruchel

Wed, Aug 26 2015, 4:23 am

It depends. I found fishless Worcestershire in Israel.

Amarante

Wed, Aug 26 2015, 5:26 am

Ruchel wrote:

It depends. I found fishless Worcestershire in Israel.

Yes veggie or fish less Worcestershire does exist but it is not the same as Thai Fish Sauce.

Since the sauces that were suggested used fish, they couldn't be used as a substitute for many Thai dishes which have meat or chicken as an ingredient.