Jeow Som
If I could tell you how good this Lao sauce is- you would not have to make it, but trust me, you have to try it for yourself, you want this in your repertoire.
It is fresh and rich at the same time. The perfect kick for a warm grilled dinner this summer, great for dipping dumplings in year round, or with Streamside Kumara.
You can buy frozen chillis at Asian supermarkets for this if they are not in season, as they can get quite expensive this time of year.
And there is a Culley’s not-fish vegan fish sauce which would work great with this too.
Aliesha McGilligan
- 20 cloves of garlic (peeled)
- 3 tablespoons of white sugar
- 12 bird’s eye chillies or any red chillis you have
- 1/3 cup of fish sauce
- 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Streamside Coriander, one bunch chopped up, stalks and all
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and sugar and chillies into a coarse paste.
- Add the lime juice first, mix, then fish sauce, to the mortar. Continue pounding gently to combine the ingredients. Add the chopped Streamside coriander and mix in the mortar.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the balance of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy to your liking.
- Pour the Jeow Som into a small serving dish and store the rest in a jar in the fridge, lasts well for a week.