A broth-based noodle soup where fish sauce is the backbone, balanced with lime and heat. This shelf is nearly bare, so we build from staples and turn that half-empty bottle into something you'll want to finish.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 320 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 62 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat. From USDA figures for 86% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 3 tablespoons [45 ml] fish sauce, 4 cups water, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1 small onion, 4 ounces [115 g] pasta, 1 lime, 1 fresh red chili.

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot with the lid on. While it heats, mince 3 garlic cloves and slice 1 small onion thin. The water is ready when it rolls.10 min
2. Add the garlic and onion to the boiling water and stir. Let it simmer for 2 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons fish sauce and stir well. The broth should smell pungent and savoury.2 min
3. Add 4 ounces pasta and stir to prevent sticking. Simmer until the pasta is tender, stirring once halfway through. Taste and season with salt and pepper.10 min
4. While the soup finishes cooking, halve the lime and slice 1 fresh red chili thin, removing seeds if you prefer less heat. Ladle soup into bowls, squeeze lime over each, and scatter chili over the top.

Note Swap dried chili flakes for fresh if needed. Leftovers keep three days refrigerated and taste even better as the fish sauce mellows. Serve with extra lime wedges and more chili for anyone wanting it hotter.

Fish sauce becomes deeply savory when caramelized with sugar and butter, coating tender chicken in an urgent, salty-sweet glaze. This is the way to use up that last bit of bottle and make something worth doing it for. Serve over rice to catch every drop.

Serves 2. 35 minutes, 25 at the stove.

About 1110 calories a serving, 72 g protein, 107 g carbohydrate, 42 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup rice, 4 cloves garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 pound chicken thighs or breasts, 1 lime.

1. Start rice in 2 cups water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let it cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.
2. Pat 1 pound chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
3. In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat and stir in 3 tablespoons sugar, watching until it turns deep golden and smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Mince 4 cloves garlic and add to the pan, stirring for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Pour in 2 tablespoons fish sauce, which will bubble vigorously. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat in the caramel, cooking for 5 minutes until the glaze is thick and sticky and the chicken is cooked through.5 min
5. Squeeze juice from 1 lime over the chicken, taste, and add more salt or pepper if needed. Serve over rice, spooning the glaze over each portion.

Note Swap chicken for shrimp if you have it; reduce glaze time to 3 minutes. Leftovers keep refrigerated for two days and reheat gently over medium-low heat with a splash of water. Serve with cucumber slices or a simple green salad alongside.

A bowl of hot noodles dressed with fish sauce, garlic, and a raw egg that cooks in the heat, exactly the kind of quick, restorative dinner when your pantry is mostly bare. The fish sauce is the whole point here: thinned with water and oil, it becomes a bracing, complex broth.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 530 calories a serving, 20 g protein, 68 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 6 ounces pasta, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 eggs, 4 ounces leafy greens (spinach or bok choy).

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 6 ounces of pasta until just tender, about 8 minutes. Mince 2 cloves garlic and stir it into 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl, letting it sit while the pasta cooks.8 min
2. Drain the pasta and divide it between two bowls. Tear 4 ounces of leafy greens into bite-sized pieces and scatter half over each bowl.
3. Whisk together the garlic oil, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and 1/2 cup warm water until smooth, then pour half over each bowl and stir gently. Crack 1 raw egg into each bowl on top, then pour the remaining sauce around it and stir the egg into the hot noodles until it cooks through, about 1 minute. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.1 min

Note Swap the greens for any vegetables: shredded carrot, leftover cooked broccoli, or just skip them. Leftovers keep cold in the fridge for one day and are good as a noodle salad. Serve with lime if you have it, or hot sauce.