How to Make Vietnamese Pickled Dracontomelon in Fish Sauce (Sấu Ngâm Mắm)
Learn how to make pickled dracontomelon with fish sauce, garlic, and chili with the perfect balance of ingredients for a crispy and flavorful result. This method ensures the pickling liquid remains clear and does not spoil over time.
Ingredients
- 1kg dracontomelon
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 10 hot chilies (optional)
- 1 red chili
- 20g galangal, 20g ginger
- 500ml fish sauce
- 100g golden sugar
- 450ml water
- Coarse salt
Ingredient Notes
For the best pickled dracontomelon, choose young, tender fruits, especially 'bánh tẻ' dracontomelon. These are early-season, tender fruits with thin skins, thick flesh, and small, soft seeds. With these, you can skip peeling the skins.
Bánh tẻ dracontomelon
If you cannot find 'bánh tẻ', choose dracontomelon with bright skins, avoiding large, bruised, or damaged fruits.
Young dracontomelon typically becomes available in late May or early June, with prices starting at around 50,000-60,000 VND per kilogram, dropping as the season progresses.
Instructions
Prepare the Dracontomelon
Trim off the stems of the dracontomelon. You can either keep the skins on or peel them, depending on your preference. Rinse the fruits, then soak them in salted water for about 10 minutes to remove the slime. While soaking, scrub the fruits to remove any sticky residue. Rinse thoroughly and place in a large bowl.
Leaving the skins on helps keep the fruits crisp and gives them a nice green color. However, you’ll need to be more selective with the fruits you choose.
Boil water and let it cool to about 80-90°C, then pour it over the dracontomelon. Stir gently, then drain the fruits and allow them to dry completely. This step ensures the dracontomelon is clean and prevents spoilage during pickling. Make sure the fruits are thoroughly dry before placing them in the jar for pickling.
To help the dracontomelon absorb the fish sauce faster, score the fruits or slice them into 2-3 pieces.
Prepare the Other Ingredients
Peel and thinly slice the garlic.
Peel and clean the galangal and ginger. Keep the ginger skin on, and slice both into thin strips. The addition of galangal and ginger adds a wonderful aroma to the pickled dracontomelon.
Choose mid-aged galangal (not too young, not too old) for easier slicing and a balanced flavor.
Rinse the fresh chilies, allow them to dry, then either crush them or leave them whole. Slice the red chili into diagonal pieces.
Thoroughly clean and dry the jar you will use for pickling. For extra cleanliness, rinse the jar with warm salted water before drying.
Make the Fish Sauce Brine
For 1kg of dracontomelon, use the following ratio: 500ml fish sauce, 100g golden sugar (or white sugar), and 450ml water.
Combine the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, and let the mixture cool completely before using. If the brine is warm when added to the dracontomelon, it may cause spoilage.
To preserve the garlic and chili's aroma and texture, blanch them in the boiling fish sauce for a few seconds, then remove and let them dry before adding to the jar.
Pickle the Dracontomelon
Layer the dracontomelon in the jar, alternating with layers of garlic, chili, galangal, and ginger. Pour the fish sauce brine over the layers, ensuring the fruits are fully submerged to prevent spoilage.
Seal the jar and store it in a cool, dry place. After 3-5 days, the pickled dracontomelon will be ready to eat. In hot summer weather, the pickling process may be faster. After the pickling period, store the jar in the refrigerator to prolong shelf life.
Pickled dracontomelon with garlic and chili has a delightful aroma, a mild sourness from the dracontomelon, the rich flavor of fish sauce, and the spicy kick of garlic and chili. The dracontomelon is crisp and flavorful, and the pickling brine is perfectly balanced. You can enjoy pickled dracontomelon as a side dish or use the brine as a dipping sauce for boiled vegetables or meats.
Pickled dracontomelon pairs wonderfully with boiled meat, and the brine with a few mashed dracontomelon fruits makes an excellent dipping sauce for boiled vegetables.
