Spicy Seafood Dipping Sauce (Restaurant Secret)

Ingredients

• 10-15 green bird's-eye chilies
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 limes
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• coriander
• (for body: ground coriander/mild green chili)

Method

• Pound chilies, garlic and coriander (coriander root adds aroma)
• Add sugar and fish sauce; squeeze in lime and stir to dissolve the sugar
• Taste sour-first, then spicy, then salty; adjust to taste
• Serve with grilled prawns, steamed fish, shellfish and all seafood

How to Choose

Choose fresh spicy green chilies · firm garlic cloves · heavy, juicy limes (not bitter) · fragrant fresh coriander.

Chef's Secret

Restaurant secret: use freshly squeezed lime (not bottled); squeeze it in after mixing the fish sauce and sugar to avoid bitterness; blend in a little ground coriander or mild green chili so the sauce thickens and clings to the seafood; make it fresh just before serving.

Fresh chili, garlic, lime, coriander for seafood sauce full set at Fresh Market Online.