Padaek - Lao fermented fish sauce recipe
 
 
Padaek (Lao fermented fish sauce) is a quintessential traditional Lao ingredient/condiment. It is a thicker, seasoned fish sauce and often contains chunks of fish in it. The sauce is customarily used in 'tum mark hoong' (Lao spicy green papaya salad) and 'jeow' (Lao relishes/dips). Store it safely.
Author:
Recipe type: Condiment/Sauce
Cuisine: Lao
Ingredients
  • 1 kg of fresh fish (non-oily fish is recommended)
  • 250 grams of salt
  • 250 grams of rice bran
Instructions
  1. First, prepare the fish. Wash, clean and gut them, depending on the type and size of fish. If you’re using larger fish, you might want to cut them into smaller pieces.
  2. Place the drained cleaned fish into a large bowl/container and add the salt. Mix the fish and salt together, thoroughly and carefully. Be sure to squeeze, knead and blend them all together very well.
  3. Ensure that the salt is well mixed into the fish and press the salt into the gut and head cavities.
  4. Cover the fish/salt mix with a lid and leave to rest for 12 hours (overnight) in the fridge.
  5. After 12 hours of resting in the fridge, add 250 grams of rice bran and mix all three ingredients together thoroughly in the same manner as before.
  6. Ensure that the rice brand/salt mixture is pushed into the fish cavities.
  7. Transfer the mixed fish (and the rice bran/salt mixture) into a glass jar. I used a recycled 2kg olive glass jar which is a perfect size for 1kg of fish.
  8. Once the fish mix/mixture is placed into the jar, use your hand to press down the contents so that it is firm. Be careful to not fill the jar completely. Leave at least 7-8 cms at the top, as there will be expansion with fermentation. A 2kg glass jar should provide more than adequate vacant top space.
  9. Cover the fish mix/brew with a couple of layers of cling wrap.
  10. Place a cleaned/washed/boiled river stone in a small zip-lock bag and place it on top of cling wrap layer, on top of the fish.
  11. Screw the lid back on the glass jar.
  12. Store your jar of padaek in a cool dry place, perhaps in a cool kitchen cupboard. Remember, hot air rises.
  13. Leave the mix to ferment for at least six months, a year is preferable.
  14. During the fermentation, remember to check the mixture. Use a large spoon to turn the fish inside the jar occasionally and press them down again. I have read that the padaek will keep in their jars for two years, perhaps, even longer if it’s a good brew or kept refrigerated? Store your padaek carefully because flies love it, and it could cause a nightmare if dropped!
Notes
You will also need:
1 large glass jar (with sealable lid) to store and ferment the padaek in
1 cleaned/washed/boiled river stone
1 small zip-lock bag
cling wrap
Recipe by Padaek at http://padaek.com/make-padaek-lao-fermented-fish-sauce-recipe/