Cambodian anchovy sauce is a perfect pairing for steak any day! The spicy and complex flavor combination of anchovies with fresh herbs, spices, crunchy eggplant, and a touch of natural acidity from lime juice, really makes this the most memorable steak sauce side by side to the original tuk prahok!
I love roasted garlic and peppers, but you can just use them fresh. For the anchovies, I have no preference in the brand, and would just grab what is ever available at the time of shopping. You can pour the whole anchovies into a saucepan and slowly boil them into a creamy sauce or mince and paste them with a mortar and pestle. These anchovies can be eaten straight from the can. They are incredibly nutritious.
I’m using two cans of anchovies here, but I will be giving you measurements for each can of anchovies.
Cambodian Anchovy Steak Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 can of anchovies
- 1/2-1 tablespoon sugar to your taste
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1-2 whole lemon or lime juice adjust the other ingredients accordingly to the sweetness or sourness of the lemon or lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon msg optional
- Round Khmer/Thai eggplants
- Olives
- Fresh herbs and mints here I used culantro, coriander, Asian peppermint, cilantro
- Other delicious optional include lemongrass kaffir lime leaves, radish, pickled pepper, lemon-lime peels.
Instructions
- Flavor in abundance with this amazing little sauce from anchovies. A creamy, umami-laden concentration of zingy saltiness that will send your taste buds into overdrive. Anchovies are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and plenty of other nutrients.