Red Boat Fish Sauce and Macaroni and Cheese; Yumma Goochie Buffalo Bob.

[transmaster]

Some of My oldest food memories is spooning Macaroni and Cheese into my mouth. Macaroni and Cheese is surprisingly difficult to make. Getting the cheese taste, and color correct is not easy, and the texture of the macaroni has to be just so. When I was a Navy Cook I kind of cheated. I added the cheddar cheese until till I got the taste I wanted. But if I went for color the Cheddar Cheese the Navy used at the time gave it a gritty texture. So what I did was add yellow food coloring to get the color. It was a huge hit with the Sailors. Since that time with access to much better quality cheese I have not had to resort to cheating. There is still the balance between the macaroni, I have always used Conchiglie, (shell roni) or something similar, and the cheese flavors. My favorite Cheddar cheese is the Tillamook 3 year white cheddar. There are fancier Cheddars but this one is available in local supermarkets.

I decided to add a little Red Boat Fish Sauce to my latest batch of Mac-n-cheese. I don't really have a recipe I have made it for so long I just make it. I could not believe how it enhanced the flavors. It brought all of the flavors together and than magnified them. If you want a fast taste test get some of the Macaroni and Cheese from KFC.

Red Boat Fish Sauce continues to astound me. So far nothing in the way of main dishes has not been improved with its addition. I just had a thought, Red Boat added to the stuffing in a Turkey, hmmm

 

[pustelniakr]

Fish sauce is loaded with glutamic acid. This fits in the category of the 5th taste sense, umami (essetially, savor). You can use it, so that its taste is overt, or you can add a splash or two, and you cannot taste it, for itself, but it will wake up whatever other flavors are there.

Red Boat is high grqde, so has a pleasing flavor (and aroma) on its own, Research the variety of dipping sauces using fish sauce in SE Asia. Try them. Red Boat is the best choice for those. Personally, I use it pretty much exclusively. Others do not like the expense in cooked foods, as it is relatively pricey (3 times other renditions).

Carry on with your experiments.

Enjoy,
Rich P

 

[transmaster]

I was aquatinted to the Umami flavor on the Japanese Anime Food War!: Shokugeki no Soma. As I Said on another thread the flavor was first described in 1908. My dad was US Navy in the 1950’s into the late 1960’s I have been eating Asian foods my entire life. I have Used a lot of different brands of fish sauce once I finally was able to get Red Boat I threw away what I had on hand. Now I am trying to track down a good Soy Sauce. The Healthy Boy brand I have been using tastes terrible now. I understand the regional differences. I have gone back to Kikkoman for now.

 

[IPADave]

I like this soy sauce.



-Dave