State Bird Garum

by Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski with JJ Goode

A unique condiment that combines the umami-filled flavor of fish sauce with Asian aromatics and spices, inspired by the ancient Roman garum.

State Bird Garum

  • Servings: Makes about 4 cups
These recipes have not been tested yet, but look promising.

This recipe comes from the 2018 Beard Award–nominated cookbook, State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook , by Stuart Brioza, Nicole Krasinski, and JJ Goode. It’s a modern take on the ancient Roman condiment, garum, using Red Boat Fish Sauce as a base and adding a variety of Asian aromatics and spices for a complex flavor profile.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fish sauce (preferably Red Boat brand)
  • 1 cup lime juice
  • 1 lemongrass stalk
  • One 3-inch knob ginger, peeled and cut into a few pieces
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 3 dried Indian or Indonesian long peppers
  • One 3-inch piece Ceylon cinnamon stick
  • 1 whole nutmeg

Directions

  • Combine the fish sauce and lime juice in a blender.
  • Cut off and discard the bottom 1 inch and top 5 inches from the lemongrass, remove the outer layer, and cut the lemongrass into about-2-inch pieces.
  • One by one, coarsely crush the lemongrass, ginger, and garlic in a mortar and transfer to the blender. Focusing on one spice at a time, coarsely crack the cloves, long peppers, and cinnamon stick in the mortar and transfer to the blender. Wrap the nutmeg in a kitchen towel, whack it with a heavy pan to crack into several pieces, and then add them to the blender. Pulse the mixture to break up the solids a bit more, 15 to 30 seconds.
  • Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 1 month (the longer the better). Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
  • Transfer the finished sauce to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

  • This recipe is reprinted with permission from State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook by Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski with JJ Goode, copyright © 2017. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.