The Best 1-Ingredient Upgrade for All Your Savory Sauces

If you’re making a sauce, finding that extra boost of flavor that separates a good sauce from a great one can be a mystery. But there are countless ingredients that can bring your cooking to the next level. I’ve written about the benefits of adding balsamic vinegar to chili, how garlic aioli changes grilled cheese for the better, and V8 juice rounds out spaghetti to perfection. Whether you need to upgrade a burger sauce or add complexity to Bang Bang Sauce, there’s one ingredient in the world of Asian cooking that goes a long way.

How to Upgrade the Flavor of Your Sauces

If you need to give something a boost of umami, fish sauce will be your best friend. The salty-savory condiment, made from fermented anchovies, is often used in Thai, Korean, Japanese, and other Asian cuisines in dishes such as kimchi and curry. I first came across it while working at a Japanese-Italian restaurant, where we put the ingredient in everything from pasta sauces to cheese dips, and implemented it in similar ways to soy or Worcestershire sauce.

Fish sauce has a strong smell and flavor, so use it with a light touch. How much you incorporate into a dish depends on what you’re making and the flavor you’re looking for—but if you’re unsure, add some one teaspoon at a time. Allrecipes video producer Nicole McLaughlin uses fish sauce to give The Crustburger, Nashville chef and restaurateur Sean Brock’s famous smashburger, a boost of complexity. Chef John also uses the ingredient in many of his recipes, including Sticky Garlic Pork Chops and Honey-Garlic Shrimp.

Recipes Featuring Fish Sauce