xo sauce

XO sauce is a flavor-bomb condiment rich with dried seafood and cured ham. You can spoon it over any number of dishes, but it's also a fantastic ingredient to cook with.

XO Sauce Recipe

shrimp

scallops

garlic

shallots (about 5 ounces; 140 grams), quartered

(475 milliliters) vegetable oil

(85 grams) Jinhua ham, minced (see note)

(120 milliliters) Shaoxing wine (see note)

chicken broth

(60 milliliters) oyster sauce

(30 milliliters) soy sauce

(24 grams) brown sugar

star anise

Place shrimp and scallops in separate medium microwave-safe bowls and cover with at least 2 inches of boiling water. Set aside to soak for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 2 hours. (Alternatively, you can soak the shrimp and scallops in cold water overnight in the refrigerator.)

Drain shrimp completely. Drain scallops, leaving 2 tablespoons (30ml) soaking water along with the scallops in the bowl. Cover bowl with a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high heat until scallops are tender and easily break apart when pinched between your fingers, about 3 minutes.

Drain scallops of remaining liquid and transfer them to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse scallops 7 times, until just broken into thin strands, then transfer back to their original bowl. Add shrimp to food processor and pulse 10 times, until coarsely chopped. Transfer shrimp back to their original bowl. Finally, combine garlic, shallots, ginger, and Thai chilies in food processor bowl and pulse 12 to 15 times, until finely chopped but not puréed. Set mixture aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add ham and cook, stirring frequently with a heat-resistant spatula or wooden spoon, until ham is crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add scallops to pot and continue to cook, stirring frequently to separate strands, until scallops are lightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add shrimp and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until seafood is a deep golden color, 7 to 10 minutes. The oil in the pot will be very bubbly during this stage, making it difficult to see what is going on in the bottom of the pot, so you will need to occasionally use your spatula or a slotted spoon to pick a spoonful of the mixture up out of the oil to check its color.

Add vegetable mixture to pot and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are golden brown and fond begins to form at the bottom of the pot, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground dried chilies and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Deglaze with Shaoxing wine, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the pot.

Stir in chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and star anise and continue to cook at a rapid simmer until mixture is thickened and most of the liquid has been absorbed into the sauce, leaving a thin layer of bubbling oil on the surface of the pot, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Once XO sauce has cooled, divide into jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before using.

XO sauce is made from dried shrimp &amp; scallops, salty Jinhua ham, shallots, garlic, chili, and oil. Originating in Hong Kong, XO sauce is epically delicious and an explosion of umami!

How to Make XO Sauce

300 g dried scallops ((11 ounces, mini or large))

Shaoxing wine ((divided))

water

shallots ((finely diced))

garlic ((finely minced))

red chili peppers

ham ham

chicken stock

brown sugar

vegetable oil

dark mushroom soy sauce

fish sauce

chili flakes

Measure out your dried shrimp and scallops into two separate large bowls. Add 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine to each bowl, and pour enough boiling water over the top to submerge the seafood. Soak the shrimp for one hour. Soak the scallops for at least 2 hours (up to 6 hours).

While that’s happening, prepare your shallots and garlic. I highly recommend using a food processor for this. Thinly slice the shallots first by hand, and then pulse into a fine dice. Pulse the whole garlic cloves until minced. Prepare the chili peppers and set aside as well.

When the soaking times have elapsed, drain the seafood. Heat your steamer over high heat, and steam the scallops and the ham in heatproof bowls for 15 minutes. Reserve any liquid that dripped into the bowl with the scallops.

When the 15 minutes have elapsed, remove both from the steamer and let cool. Shred the scallops into threads by breaking them up between your fingers. Using a food processor, pulse the scallops about 6-7 times, in 3 batches, until they resemble short, fine threads. Next, pulse the shrimp about 7-8 times, or until they resemble coarse crumbs. Mince the ham by hand--best to avoid your expensive jinhua ham from resembling cat food!

Collect the water from steaming the scallops (whatever dripped off into the bowl that the scallops were in while you were steaming––the amount will vary each time you do it, and that’s fine), and mix with 1¾ cups chicken stock and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Set aside.

In a large wok, heat your 7 cups of oil to 225 degrees F--it’s hot enough when a chopstick dipped in the oil bubbles slightly. The oil temperature for the duration of the cooking process can vacillate between 200 and 250 degrees F, or on your stovetop, between medium-high and high heat, depending on what you are adding to the oil and how much. If your wok is too small for safe frying, use any other large, deep pot. A dutch oven would also work well.

Add all of the scallops and let fry for 5 minutes. Next, add the shrimp. Fry the mixture for 15 minutes. Next, add the ham and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the chopped chili peppers and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Using a fine-meshed strainer, transfer the seafood mixture to another large skillet or wok, letting the oil drain off.

Turn the heat on again and let the oil come back up to 225F. Add the shallots. Let fry for 10 minutes. They should become slightly golden but not crispy.

While that’s happening, heat your second wok over medium-high heat. Add the last 6 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine, the 2 tablespoons of dark mushroom soy sauce, and the sugar/chicken stock mixture you prepared earlier. Stir to combine, and simmer to let the liquid cook off.

Next, add the garlic to the shallots and cook for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on your second wok. The garlic should get golden and slightly crisped.

When the liquid has cooked off in your seafood mixture and the shallot/garlic mixture is the correct color, carefully pour the seafood mixture back into the main wok. Lower the heat to medium and stir to combine. Add the fish sauce and chili flakes, stirring to combine.

Transfer to clean, sterile containers, and let cool on the counters before refrigerating. You can eat the XO sauce right away or you can let the flavors meld for 2 to 3 days before digging in!

Add to rice dishes (e.g., our Scallop Fried Rice with XO Sauce and Crispy Garlic), noodle dishes, vegetable dishes, etc. to your heart’s content!

Make a better version of grilled broccolini by using the intense heat of a charcoal chimney starter.

Charcoal Chimney&#8211;Grilled Broccolini With XO Sauce Recipe

broccolini (2 bunches; 450 grams), trimmed

(10 milliliters) vegetable oil

salt and black pepper

(75 grams) XO sauce, store-bought or homemade

(10 milliliters) Chinese black vinegar

Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, set a small wire rack on top of the chimney and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean (if necessary) and oil the wire rack.

Toss broccolini and oil in a large bowl until stalks are evenly coated. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Working in batches, arrange broccolini on the prepared wire rack, taking care not to overcrowd them and keeping the florets away from the direct heat of the coals. Cook until stalks are charred on first side, 30 to 45 seconds. Flip broccolini and cook on second side until stalks are charred and just tender, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a serving platter and set aside.

Repeat grilling process with remaining broccolini. When you are ready to serve, dollop spoonfuls of XO sauce over the broccolini, then drizzle with black vinegar (if using). Serve immediately.

Further proof that all you need to elevate a quick weeknight dinner is the right condiment.

Pasta With Burst Cherry Tomatoes and XO Sauce Recipe

Kosher salt

(450 grams) short pasta,

(60 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil

shallots (80 grams), thinly sliced

garlic (20 grams), thinly sliced

cherry tomatoes (about 2 pints; 675 grams)

(140 grams) XO sauce, store-bought or homemade

Pinch finely ground dried Thai chilies

basil leaves

mint leaves

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute less than the package directs). Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups (360ml) cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallots, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until shallots are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is softened as well, about 2 minutes longer.

Add cherry tomatoes, shaking skillet to distribute them in an even layer, and cook, stirring and swirling the pan frequently, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 5 minutes. You can coax the tomatoes into bursting by pressing down on them with a wooden spoon, but leave some tomatoes whole for juicy pops of flavor in the finished dish.

Continue to cook and stir tomato mixture until it forms a creamy, emulsified sauce, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add XO sauce and ground dried chilies (if using), stir to combine, and season to taste with salt.

Add pasta and half of the reserved cooking water (3/4 cup; 180ml) to skillet with cherry tomato sauce. Increase heat to high and cook, swirling and tossing skillet constantly, until pasta is al dente and sauce is thickened and coats noodles, about 1 minute. If the sauce over-reduces (it should pool around the edges of the skillet), add more pasta-cooking water in 1/4-cup increments to loosen it.

Remove from heat, stir in basil and mint, and season to taste with more salt. Serve immediately.

XO Sauce is the a luxurious sauce using PREMIUM ingredients. Enjoy a crispy and umami-packed condiment that lasts for months!

XO Sauce (XO 酱)

g / 1.7 lb dried shrimp ((rehydrated and finely chopped))

g/ 1.7 lb dried scallop ((rehydrated and finely shredded))

chili ((or any to your preference))

garlic ((finely chopped))

250 g / 0.55 lb smoked ham ((finely chopped))

g / 0.22 lb red shallot ((finely chopped))

US cup oil

tsp sugar ((or

salt ((or

chicken bouillon powder

Shaoxing rice wine

tbsp chili bean sauce ((also known as toban djan))

Heat up the oil in a pan and add the shredded scallops in to fry for 5 minutes on medium heat or until golden and crispy. Pour the contents into a strainer and set aside for later.

Pour the oil back into the pot on medium heat and cook the garlic, chili and shallots for 3 minutes or until brown.

Add the fried scallops, shrimp and smoked ham and stir, then season with the salt, sugar, chicken powder and chili bean sauce.

Pour 1 cup of the scallop water in to simmer for 1 hour over low-medium heat or until it has reduced to your preferred consistency. Add the Shaoxing rice wine and mix for 2 minutes.Pro Tip: Stir every 5 minutes to avoid burning.

Transfer the XO Sauce into an air-tight jar and serve as is with your favorite savory dishes!

"Umami-packed XO sauce is a must-have in any home cook’s kitchen. Add to stir-fried greens or shellfish pasta dishes, smother over chicken wings before baking or simply dollop alongside your favourite steamed dumplings. Or you could always pack some onto a burger or add atop a bowl of cooked rice with a fried, soft-centred egg." – Tracey Pattison


Chilli XO sauce recipe

conpoy (dried scallops, from Asian grocers) and dried shrimp

eschalots, quartered

long red chillies,

ginger

pancetta, finely chopped

20.00 ml red chilli powder

40.00 ml soy sauce

40.00 ml oyster sauce

Chinese rice wine (shaohsing)

tsp caster sugar

Step 1

Place the conpoy and dried shrimp in 2 separate small heatproof bowls. Cover each with 1 cup (250ml) boiling water. Stand for 1 hour.

Step 2

Strain each through fine sieve, reserving their soaking liquid. Place soaked conpoy in a small food processor. Whiz until shredded, then transfer to a small bowl. Place soaked shrimp in same processor. Whiz until chopped and transfer to bowl with conpoy.

Step 3

Add the eschalot, red chillies and ginger to same processor. Whiz, scraping down the side of bowl occasionally, until finely chopped and a paste forms.

Step 4

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron frypan over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the fat just starts to melt. Add the gochugaru, conpoy and shrimp. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until starting to look slightly crisp.

Step 5

Add sauces, rice wine, sugar, 1 tsp fine salt, reserved soaking liquids and eschalot paste. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally to begin with and more frequently towards the end of cooking, for 2 hours or until mixture has reduced to a rich, slightly sticky consistency, with a thick layer of red-tinged oil on top (the mixture should cook at a consistent and very gentle bubble).

Step 6

Immediately spoon into a 4-cup (1L) capacity sterilised jar, wipe rim clean with paper towel, seal and stand at room temperature until completely cooled. Chill for 1 week before using. Stir well before using or serving.

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