Mam Nem

Ingredients

Base

• 150 mlmam nem, fermented anchovy sauce, from a jar

To thin and flavour

• 150 gripe pineapple, very finely chopped or crushed
• 3 tbspcaster sugar, to taste
• juice of 2 limes
• 6garlic cloves, crushed
• 3red chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tbspwater, if needed

Sometimes added

• 1 tbspcrushed roasted peanuts
• 1 stalklemongrass, very finely chopped

To serve

• banh xeo
• boiled pork belly with rice paper and herbs
• bun mam

Directions

1. Check the jar is within date and has been kept cool. Fermented fish products can accumulate histamine if poorly stored.
2. Discard the bones and scales left in the sieve. If it is already smooth, use it straight from the jar. Chop it as finely as you possibly can. Some cooks warm the sauce briefly, which is worth doing.
3. Put the strained mam nem in a small pan with the pineapple. Warm it gently for five minutes, stirring. Do not boil it, which makes it harsh.
4. Let it cool completely before finishing it. Now the seasoning, which is done cold. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add the lime juice, crushed garlic and chopped chilli.
5. Stir the whole mixture thoroughly. Now the balance, which takes tasting. Add sugar if it is too aggressive. Add lime if it tastes heavy and flat. Add water only if it is too thick to dip into. Now the consistency, which should be dippable.
6. Stir in crushed peanuts for texture if you want them. Add finely chopped lemongrass for a more aromatic version. Let it stand for thirty minutes before serving. The garlic and chilli need time to infuse.
7. Serve it in small individual bowls rather than one shared dish. It keeps for a week in the fridge in a sealed jar. Make it the day you need it, since the pineapple dulls after a day or two.

Technique

• Mam nem includes the fermented fish solids, unlike clear nuoc mam, so it is far stronger.
• The pineapple must be properly ripe, since an underripe one lacks the sugar the sauce needs.
• Warm it briefly rather than boiling it, which turns it harsh.

Substitutions

• Strained mam nem, sold ready to use, in place of the coarse paste.
• Fish sauce with anchovy paste, as a rough approximation.

Variations

• With crushed peanuts stirred through.
• With lemongrass for a more aromatic sauce.
• Made hotter, with far more chilli.

History

Central Vietnam’s dipping sauce for banh xeo and boiled pork, stronger and coarser than clear fish sauce.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mam Nem?

Mam Nem is a sauce & condiment from Vietnam: pungent fermented anchovy sauce thinned with pineapple, garlic and chilli. Central Vietnam’s dipping sauce for banh xeo and boiled pork, stronger and coarser than clear fish sauce.

How long does Mam Nem take to make?

Mam Nem takes 15 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 small jar of dipping sauce. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Mam Nem?

Yes, within limits. Strained mam nem, sold ready to use, in place of the coarse paste. Fish sauce with anchovy paste, as a rough approximation.

What is the most important thing to get right in Mam Nem?

Put the strained mam nem in a small pan with the pineapple. Warm it gently for five minutes, stirring. Do not boil it, which makes it harsh.