Fish Sauce Caramel Brussels Sprouts

When I was in college, on very special occasions, we would go to a restaurant that served fried Brussels sprouts with the most incredible sauce I’d ever tasted. It was sweet, salty, and it had the most intense umami flavor. If I could’ve, I would have eaten there once a week. That was my first encounter with fish sauce caramel and I’ve yet to find a more perfect topping for Brussels sprouts.

Vietnamese caramel, Nước Màu, is paired with fish sauce to flavor many traditional Vietnamese dishes such as bò kho (braised beef stew) and thit kho tau (caramelized pork belly and eggs). However, in recent years, chefs have used the combination as a topping for vegetables, as a sauce for chicken wings, and even as a topping for ice cream.

While I still love the caramel with fried brussels sprouts, I love how much faster and easier it is to simply sear halved sprouts in a pan until charred and crispy on one side and crisp-tender on the other. The most important part — that perfect sauce — stays the same.

• Brussels sprouts. The nooks and crannies are perfect for collecting sauce.
• Light brown sugar. A little molasses flavor rounds out the caramel sauce.
• Fish sauce. A little goes a long way to add salty umami flavor.
• Shallot. This aromatic boosts the flavor.
• Sesame seeds. Add a little crunch at the end with pre-toasted seeds.

• Use Vietnamese fish sauce. Although both Thai and Vietnamese fish sauce are delicious, Thai fish sauce is a bit stronger and saltier, which may overpower the caramel. Use a Vietnamese variety such as Red Boat or Three Crabs.
• Cook the Brussels sprouts on one side. Once you get a nice char on the cut side of the sprouts, there is no need to flip and keep cooking. The residual heat and caramel will soften them until they are perfectly crisp-tender.
• Add some protein. For a more complete meal, add a quick-cooking protein like shrimp and serve over steamed rice.