Roninspoon made a chance
remark in the
catbox that occasionally his
favorite restaurant seasoned a dish with a
sauce that
reminded him of
licking the bottom of a
pier. He thought it was called fudukaki -- or
something like it. I couldn't find that
word but the
description rang a
bell.
I think he was talking about patis: a Philippine fish sauce which is a salty brownish liquid used like soy sauce to season almost everything in that part of the world. It is cousin to the Thai nam pla and the Vietnamese nuoc nam. Sometime ago a Philippino friend told me how to make it, but somehow I never got around to it. These are his instructions as I remember them:
Lay a broom handle down on the beach and pile on top of it any trash fish from the last fishing expedition. On top of that pile, first, salt and then a lot of sand, tamping it down good to create a seal. Then forget it. Every couple days pull out the broom handle to see if any liquid runs out. When the liquid is brown and quite rank, collect it in jars for later use. Yum! Yum!
I wish I could remember how I was to collect it in the sand, but it's doubtful that the information would ever be useful.
Reference
http://members.tripod.com/~WrightPlace/caw-Philippines12.html
liontamer says that she thinks it is called in
Cambodia:
...prohoc. In January, I nearly evacuated myself from the country because the smell, which was everywhere from Phnom Penh to Siem Riep, made me so nauseous. Quite tasty tho.