-
1
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar, sugar, and water and stir to dissolve the sugar.
-
2
Taste and adjust the flavors to balance the sweet and sour as needed.
-
3
Add the fish sauce, starting out with 5 tablespoons and then adding more as your palate dictates, balancing the sour, sweet, and salty.
-
4
How much fish sauce you use depends on the brand and your own taste.
-
5
Aim for a light honey or amber color and a bold, forward finish.
-
6
Keep in mind that this sauce is typically used to dress dishes that include unsalted ingredients like lettuce and herbsingredients that will need an extra flavor lift.
-
7
When youre satisfied, add the chiles and garlic.
-
8
(If diners are sensitive to chile heat, serve the chiles on the side.)
-
9
Put the sauce on the table so that diners can serve themselves, or portion it out in advance for serving.
-
10
It may be prepared early in the day and left at room temperature until serving.
-
11
Small, cute dishes are good for plunging little morsels of food into sauce.
-
12
But if you are dunking a bundle of food wrapped in lettuce or a hand roll, you need shallow bowls three to four inches in diameter.
-
13
Look for limes with smooth skins.
-
14
They are juicier and easier to work with than fruits with dimpled, tough skins.
-
15
Before juicing, use your palm to roll the limes back and forth on a firm work surface.
-
16
This breaks down the membranes, which allows you to extract the maximum amount of juice from the fruit.
-
17
Because I like pulp in my sauces, I use an old-fashioned handheld reamer for juicing.
-
18
If your juicer filters out the pulp, start with a scant measurement of what is called for in a recipe, as you wont be working with the extra bulk contributed by the pulp.
-
19
You can always add more juice when making final adjustments.
