Growing up, my father had one mantra when it came to food: “You don’t have to like it, but you have to try it…(pauses)…and if you don’t like it, try it again.” [Insert confessional deadpan humor face, with eyes darting from side-to-side here] Did anyone else’s Vietnamese grandparents or parents taunt them to no end when you just couldn’t eat something that was exotic? I know I’m not the only one! Luckily, this mantra worked, because when it comes to food, I’ll try almost anything, and I am always impressed when others have the same mentality. Vietnamese pineapple anchovy dipping sauce, also known as mắm nêm, is one of those things that you either love, or are completely afraid of. I always say that you’re not really Vietnamese if you can’t eat mắm nêm, and if you can, guess what? You have my respect, LOL. The base of this sauce is pungent fermented anchovy, and it is blended with sweet pineapples, lime, sugar, minced lemongrass, and spicy Thai chillies. It’s absolutely delicious with grilled Vietnamese meats, and most commonly eaten with bò bảy món (7 courses of beef), a selection of beef dishes in a 7 course meal. I know that this is a hard one to eat, especially if you are not Vietnamese. And if you are, and you can’t eat it, get with the program! I know that it’s an acquired taste, and that’s why I am posting two recipes, or versions of my Vietnamese pineapple anchovy dipping sauce. The first one is the original version, and the second one is one for amateurs (those who are scared, and want to ease into it)—softer, less pungent and easier to eat, but just as delicious, I promise. Both of these recipes are my own, and I did not look online for any reference or guidance. I used my own intuition and memory of what my parents’ mắm nêm tasted like. I’m so excited to share both with you, and look forward to hearing your feedback on either one!
For my original mắm nêm recipe, you’ll need a base first: a classic bottle of anchovy sauce—the thick and pungent stuff. Not for the faint of heart. The ingredients in this bottle should ONLY be anchovy fish, salt, and water—none of those fancy Saigon Pagolac brand bottles that are already pre-mixed and ready to pour (I find these way too sweet or off, and hard to convert into a homemade blended sauce). The bottle should say ‘mắm nêm', and the contents should be light brown, and thick in texture (not like a normal liquid fish sauce). I used ‘Old Man Que Huong Brand Mắm Nêm’, a product of Vietnam. I was in one of the few Vietnamese grocery stores in Manhattan, crouching down in front of the shelf of mắm nêms, and agonizing over which one to buy, when a woman behind me (who was also shopping), picked this bottle up and told me how much she loved it, highly recommending it to me. I was so touched by her sense of community, and was convinced by her passion for this brand. Seriously, she went on and on about it, LOL. I’m sure there are better brands out there, but I am working with limited resources in New York. Thankfully, it worked out perfectly. I went home and played around in the kitchen, mixing and measuring ingredients until I achieved the perfect blended mắm nêm sauce. Recipe below:
Vietnamese Pineapple Anchovy Dipping Sauce (Blended Mắm Nêm) - Original Version
Degree of difficulty: 1 (on a scale of 1-5)
Preparation time 15 min
YOU’LL NEED
A food processor
A muddler tool, or a pestle
A medium sized bowl
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of pineapple chunks (preferably fresh cut at your grocery store in the pre-cut fruit section, but canned is totally fine)
4 TBS sugar (you can also do a sugar alternative, like organic Stevia in the Raw, or Monkfruit sugar)
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 stalk of chopped lemongrass (use the tender lower 5” portion of stalk only; peeling the outer layer, and then roughly chopping)
2 TBS lime juice
3 Thai chilies, seeds and stem removed (feel free to add more chilies if you want more heat)
¼ cup of bottled mắm nêm/thick anchovy sauce (ingredients in bottle should only be anchovy fish, salt, and water)
2 TBS water
2 TBS reserved pineapple juice
DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, add in 1 cup of pineapple chunks, 4 TBS sugar (or your sugar alternative), 1 garlic clove, 2 TBS of lime juice, and 3 Thai chilies (stems and seeds removed). Process until it becomes a smooth puree, and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, add in ¼ cup of bottled mắm nêm/thick anchovy sauce, the remaining 1 cup of pineapple chunks, 2 TBS of water, 2 TBS of reserved pineapple juice (you’ll find this at the bottom of the container if you purchased your chunks pre-cut at the grocery store, or the juice from your canned pineapples), and then your pureed pineapple mix.
Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl well with a spoon. Then, using your muddler or your pestle, muddle the pineapple chunks until they become smaller and softer chunks, and continue until sauce melds together.
For my easy blended mắm nêm recipe, you will also need pure anchovy fish sauce (make sure that the fish sauce you use is not made of any other seafood ingredients). I used Megachef Premium Anchovy Fish Sauce (It’s all I could find in New York, I like that it’s free of preservatives, MSG, and artificial ingredients or coloring). You can use any brand you’d like as long as its pure anchovy fish sauce, and not your standard, like Three Crabs Brand (a fish sauce I use for most of my Vietnamese dishes). Note that the difference between the anchovy base in the original and the easy to eat version is that this anchovy fish sauce is liquid rather than being a thicker consistency (as used in the original recipe). It’s not as pungent or strong, but it still packs enough of a punch to make a sauce that passes for a blended mắm nêm. It just has a gentler taste. This recipe is perfect for those who are afraid to eat the real stuff, or those who are taking baby steps towards eating the real stuff. All in all, it’s very delicious, and I highly recommend you make both and try both!
Vietnamese Pineapple Anchovy Dipping Sauce (Blended Mắm Nêm) - The Easy To Eat Version
Degree of difficulty: 1 (on a scale of 1-5)
Preparation time 15 min
YOU’LL NEED
A large food processor
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup of pure anchovy fish sauce (I used Megachef Premium anchovy fish sauce brand)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 cups of fresh pineapple chunks
2 TBS fresh lime juice
3.5 TBS sugar
4 Thai chilies, stems and seeds removed (feel free to add more chilies if you want more heat)
DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, blend all of the above ingredients until it becomes a smooth puree.
NOTE: The pureed pineapple tends to rise to the top, so make sure to mix well before eating.