Something Like Fish Sauce

Oh, the irony of vegan fish sauce…

I’ll be honest, I don’t know what fish sauce tastes like. I mean, I know the concept of fish sauce (fishy, salty, umami) but I can’t recall the flavour on my tongue. It’s been too long. And yet, here I am with my own vegan twist on it. You might call my attempt at recreating a flavour I don’t remember ambitious or you might call it stupid, but I did what I did and I think I nailed it.

I know people get offended by things like vegan fish sauce, but listen: naming it after the thing it’s replacing just makes it easier for vegans or people with allergies to find this animal-free substitute. How much it resembles the original I can’t say but it’s a delicious, salty little condiment that will add oomph and umami to your dish. What can I say, it’s vegan fish sauce. Don’t at me.

Ingredients

400ml pineapple juice

3 1/4 tsp maple syrup

4-5 tsp table salt

4 tsp white miso paste

4 tbsp light soya sauce

2 dried seaweed sheets (nori)

1 1/2 mushroom stock cubes

Check out my notes on ingredients at the bottom of this post for a list of the exact ingredients I used in this recipe.

Method

Step 1 Start by adding 4 tsp white miso paste to a small pot or pan.

Step 2 Add 4 tbsp soya sauce and, with a wire whisk, mix the ingredients until the miso paste has fully dissolved.

Step 3  Now, add the pineapple juice, maple syrup and salt and give the mixture another good whisk.

Step 4 On low heat, warm up the mixture until it barely simmers, then add the mushroom stock cube and mix well.

Step 5 Once the stock cube is fully dissolved (this should take less than a minute), cut the seaweed sheets into slightly smaller pieces and add them to the brew. Cover the pot with a lid and let the mixture all simmer for around three minutes.

You don’t want to boil down and thicken the mixture, just warm it up enough for the stock cube to dissolve and to bring out those fishy seaweed flavours.

Step 6 After a few minutes, turn off the heat and let the mixture slowly come to room temperature while on the hob (lid on).

Step 7 When the mixture is cool enough, you can strain it through a fine sieve (I used a mesh tea strainer), pour it into a clean glass bottle or other container and store it in the fridge. If you’re making the sauce in advance, I recommend storing it in the fridge with the seaweed still inside so it can infuse a bit longer and deepen the flavour. You can then strain it after a few hours or days in the fridge. Et voilà — here’s something like fish sauce. Keeps in the fridge for 5 - 7 days.

Notes on Ingredients

Maple Syrup

I use maple syrup in this recipe because of its deeper, more ‘earthy’ flavour compared to other liquid sweeteners like agave syrup or golden syrup and also because it’s less sweet. You could substitute with your preferred liquid sweetener or regular sugar but might have to adjust the amount you’re using — the fish sauce really just needs a hint of sweetness.

Miso Paste

I used Yutaka White Miso Paste because it’s my favourite and what I had at home but any other brand will do. White miso paste is usually a bit milder and sweeter than other varieties. If red or yellow miso is what you have at hand, I say give it a go and let me know how it went. Since fish sauce is very strong in flavour I can imagine red, yellow or even black miso, with their more intense flavours, also working well in this. Start with 2 tsp and add more according to your liking.   

Mushroom stock Cubes

I used Kallø Mushroom Stock Cubes for this recipe.

Pineapple Juice

We want our fish sauce to be flavour-packed, so try to get your hands on some good quality pineapple juice for this. Fresh juice is best, but juice from concentrate will also do the trick. Just stay away from pineapple ‘drink’ or anything with added sugar. You could also use the juice from a can of pineapples but, again, opt for the unsweetened kind. If, in any case, your pineapple juice is very sweet, adjust the amount of maple syrup in the recipe.

Salt

The amount of salt (miso, stock, soya sauce) in the recipe might be off-putting but one main characteristic of actual fish sauce is its saltiness. The sauce doesn’t stand on its own but will be diluted in dressings or used for saltiness and flavour in other sauces and marinades. Make it salty!