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Sweet Nam Pla Dipping Sauce

The strong, unusual aroma of nam pla (Thai fish sauce, page 500) is not something that instantly appeals to many Westerners. But when you cook with it, or mix it with other flavors, its wonderful, characteristic saltiness blossoms. This incredibly simple dressing is great with seafood or mixed greens.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 1/2 cup

Ingredients

4 limes
2 tablespoons nam pla
1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Grate the zest of 2 of the limes into a small bowl, then juice all 4 limes into the same bowl.

    Step 2

    Whisk in the nam pla and palm sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to meld.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
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