Offering widespread uses for fish sauce, Father’s Office and Lukshon chef Sang Yoon tells the world he is sick of hearing people slam anchovies in Saturday’s L.A. Times. The chef traces diner’s disgust with the fish to the processed, mostly salt-cured, version so commonly found in a can. “The filets…are visually unappealing and have a strong salty fishy flavor. I get it. I don’t love them either.” But Yoon relishes sardines’ role in adding depth to a dish, comparing them to “the sixth man coming off the bench. Not a star player, but critical to the success of many dishes.”
Anchovies, he argues, act as a bit of secret sniper hiding in familiar dishes like Thai curries, Caesar salad, and Worcestershire sauce for a greater expanse of flavor. “Taste any fish?” he asks. “Probably not. But fish sauce is probably in there, and you probably didn’t notice it. That’s the beauty of fish sauce. You wouldn’t know how important it is until it was missing.” [LAT]
