A pungent, amber-colored fermented fish sauce made from anchovies and sea salt, aged in clay jars for months, used as a fundamental seasoning and dipping sauce in Timorese cuisine.
Ingredients
1kg fresh anchovies
300g coarse sea salt
1 clay jar for fermentation
Instructions
1Clean anchovies by removing heads and entrails. Rinse briefly in seawater or salted water.
2Layer anchovies and salt alternately in a clean clay jar, starting and ending with salt.
3Cover the jar mouth with cheesecloth and place the lid on loosely to allow gas to escape.
4Place jar in a warm, shaded area. Let ferment for two to three months, stirring weekly.
5After fermentation, strain the liquid through fine cheesecloth to separate the clear amber sauce.
6Bottle the strained budu and store in a cool place. The sauce will keep for over a year.
Did You Know?
A well-made budu can ferment for over a year, developing increasingly complex umami flavors that Timorese cooks prize highly.