Add Fish Sauce To Chicken Salad For A Delectable Umami Punch

Unlike many dishes with a mysterious past clouded in controversy, the origins of chicken salad in the United States can be pinpointed to one individual: Liam Gray. In 1863, Gray mixed the renowned combination of mayonnaise, leftover chicken, and grapes, not knowing the legacy it would leave. Now, with various adaptations and recipes, the humble yet nostalgic chicken salad has become a potluck staple and reliable crowd-pleaser. Yet, one secret ingredient that might not have crossed your radar is fish sauce. Here's why it belongs in your next batch of chicken salad.

Most commonly made through the fermentation of anchovies, fish sauce, at its core, is a salty umami powerhouse. Just a drop and its glorious savory characteristics can elevate and accentuate a variety of foods. It's used frequently in Asian chicken salads that vibrantly burst with fresh herbs like cilantro and raw vegetables like crispy cabbage. The fish sauce is mixed into a sweet yet eccentrically tangy dressing. Unlike the typical creamy disposition of American chicken salad, there's no mayonnaise to be found here, as these salads aim to explode with zest and crunch.

If you're feeling intrigued, it's time to unite those Asian flavors with the usual chicken salad suspects and let those fantastic umami flavors do the talking.

Asian chicken salads, like Vietnamese gỏi gá, combine shredded chicken, green cabbage, crunchy carrots, and finely sliced onions. It's usually dressed in tangy fish or rich soy sauce, pungent garlic, zingy citrus juice, a little heat from chili flakes, and sugar. This salad teems with dazzling hues and a fresh and vibrant taste profile that is just as exquisite.

Yet, the umami element of this sauce is the keynote; it wraps the salad with intensely savory aromas that accentuate the chicken's meatiness and propel the raw vegetables' mild flavor forward. With this use of fish sauce in the front of your mind, you can start to see the spin it could put on your usual chicken salad. American chicken salads are filled with the creamy flavor of mayonnaise, a spicy warmth from Dijon mustard, crunchy diced onions and celery, and, more often than not, tangy dill pickles. Incorporating an umami-bursting sauce like fish or soy would easily inject a gloriously savory aroma that helps liven the mayonnaise, adds zing to the chicken, and brightens the vegetables. 

However, with this in mind, caution must be exercised when combining tangy flavors like dill pickles and fish or soy sauce. The last thing you want is a battle of flavors attempting to overpower one another. Ultimately, it's up to you to experiment and see which combination high-fives your taste buds.

There are other incorporations of fish sauce found in various chicken salad recipes. For example, it gloriously lifts the ingredients found in a Thai chicken papaya salad, which is also called som tum. The dressing consists of fish sauce mixed with palm sugar, fiery fresh red chilis, and lime juice. Dressed over unripe, crunchy shredded papaya, sweet cherry tomatoes, and crispy green beans, the finished dish is a medley of sunshine flavors that beautifully embodies Thailand's nickname, the Land of Smiles.

Although fish sauce does not always have to be paired with Asian flavors, it can also bring oceanic aromas to a vinaigrette-style dressing. Once mixed with water, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and acidity (such as lemon juice or white wine vinegar), you've got a vinaigrette that combines salty, peppery, smooth, and slightly sweet tastes. This dressing would work exceptionally well in a roasted chicken salad with soft avocado and juicy tomatoes. You can also use it to deepen the savory nature of a creamy miso dressing with smooth tahini, warm ginger, rich soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil.

Fish sauce is a fantastic addition to chicken salad, infusing it with an unbeatable umami kick. Whether incorporated into a vinaigrette for a creative twist or used to elevate your typically creamy chicken salad recipe, its flavor reigns utterly supreme.