dried shrimp

In Hong Kong in the 1980s, when expensive Cognac was all the rage, legend has it that some smart cook at the Spring Moon restaurant in the Peninsula Hotel on Kowloon got it into his head to name the funky new condiment he’d come up with after the status mark on the bottle of Remy Martin at the bar: “XO,” extra old, rare, very expensive. The stuff was a hit: dried scallops and dried shrimp, a ton of chiles, a faint pork-smokiness and a whisper of allium, expensive to make and worth it for the flavor-enhancing pop. By the end of the decade, XO sauce was on menus all over Hong Kong and eventually the world. Recipes for XO vary wildly, save for those scallops and shrimp. Mine derives from the teachings of Diana Kuan, who included a formidable XO in her 2019 cookbook, “Red Hot Kitchen.”

XO Sauce

dried scallops (ideally dinner-size)

red chiles,

jalapeño

garlic cloves,

shallots,

shrimp

bacon,

neutral oil,

dark brown sugar

Place the scallops in a steamer insert, and fit the insert into a small pot with about an inch of water beneath the bottom of the insert. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.

Once the water boils, cover the pot, and steam over medium heat until the scallops are soft, 20 minutes or so. Transfer the scallops to a medium bowl, and save about 1/2 cup of the liquid remaining in the pot. When the scallops are cool to the touch, break them up with your fingers, and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until they have turned into fine threads. Scrape the shredded scallops back into the bowl.

Place the dried chiles, fresh chiles and garlic in the food processor, and pulse until the mixture forms a paste that sticks to the sides of the work bowl, scraping down the sides as needed. (This may take a few minutes.) Scrape the chile-garlic paste into the bowl with the shredded scallops.

Place the shallots, dried shrimp and bacon in the food processor, and pulse until minced.

Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high. When it is very hot, add the oil, and swirl to coat the surface of the wok or skillet. Add the shallot mixture, and stir-fry until the mixture is very fragrant and beginning to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, and stir-fry again until the mixture starts to caramelize, 30 to 45 seconds.

Add the shredded scallop mixture and stir-fry for another 30 to 45 seconds, then add the reserved cooking water from the scallops. Cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Transfer to a lidded glass container, and let cool. Once mixture has cooled, cover, and refrigerate. Refrigerated, the XO sauce will keep up to 1 month.

Crack out the barbie and try this tasty recipe, guaranteed to impress your friends and family.

Satay prawns with green papaya salad

green prawns, peeled (tails intact), deveined

(10 grams) dried shrimp (optional – from Asian supermarkets)

garlic

red chillies, thinly sliced

(60 milliliters) fish sauce

brown sugar

limes

(about 300 grams) large green papaya, peeled, shredded

cherry tomatoes, halved

snake beans, blanched, refreshed,

peanuts,

(140 grams) crunchy peanut butter

Asian (red) eschalot, chopped

tbs fish sauce

red chilli, chopped

tsp turmeric

coriander

(160 milliliters) coconut milk

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Dried anchovy, shrimp, and shiitake mushroom make wonderful homemade all-natural flavor enhancers in Korean cooking. They are easy to prepare at home.

All-Natural Homemade Korean Flavor Enhancers

anchovy (deveined and head removed)

shiitake mushroom

For anchovy powder. heat a skillet over medium heat, toast the anchovies until they are very dry and toasty, about 2 minutes. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel and let them cool completely. Place them in a blender and process until powdered. Store them in an airtight container.

For shrimp powder, toast the shrimps in a skillet over medium heat until dry. transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel and let them cool completely. Place them in a blender and process until powdered. Store them in an airtight container.

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XO Sauce

Satay prawns with green papaya sala...

All-Natural Homemade Korean Flavor ...

The most viewed dried shrimp recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine