Homemade XO Sauce 🇭🇰

                     

If you are not a Hong Kong expat, or someone who absolutely loves Cantonese cuisine and want to take your cooking to another level, skip to the next recipe.  (Or read on if you are curious!)  XO sauce originated in the former British colony in the 1980's when restaurant chefs would develop and boast their own secret recipe for  this unique condiment.  Made up largely of expensive dried seafood and Chinese dry-cured Jinhua ham, the sauce is 'XO', extraordinary in its umami flavour as well as in price.  You can get tiny jars of them from Asian grocery stores, but I find them unsatisfactory.  The sauce is not difficult to make at home, though it takes a bit of  your time, and some of the ingredients might be harder to find in Australia.  Jinhua ham can be substituted with prosciutto or jamón.  Dried shrimps come in little packets from Chinese groceries.  As to the dried scallops, I actually purchased some from San Francisco's Chinatown last time I went to see my sister, and packed them in my hand luggage all the way home.  Customs at Sydney International Airport were fine with them, as they were honestly declared.  You might be able to source them elsewhere, depending on where you live.  This recipe will make you a large quantity of the sauce but they keep well in the fridge.  I gave small jars of them as gifts to my foodie friends and they were delighted.  The sauce goes particularly well with seafood, vegetables, rice, noodles, eggs, and tofu.  A little of it goes a long way, but then again, you can afford to lavish it on your dishes.  Whatever you are cooking, stir in a tablespoonful or so of the XO sauce while your food is piping hot in the wok, just before serving, and enjoy.

A little homemade XO sauce transforms Bok Choy into something delectable.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups peanut oil
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 large red shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 6 large red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 50g / 2 oz dried scallops
• 50g / 2 oz dried shrimps
• 50g / 2 oz prosciutto or jamón, finely shredded
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon Korean chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

METHOD

1. Wash 3 medium-size heat-proof glass jars and lids with hot soapy water.  Rinse well with hot water.  Sterilise by placing them onto a baking tray, then into a preheated 120°C/250°F oven for 20 minutes, or until they are dry and ready to be used.
2. Soak the dried scallops in 1 cup of water for at least 1 hour.  Drain well and shred the rehydrated scallops by pounding them in a mortar and pestle to separate the fibres.  Reserve the soaking liquid.
3. Soak the dried shrimps in 1 cup of water for ½ hour.  Drain and roughly grind them in a mortar and pestle 
4. Heat ¼ cup of oil in a medium size, heavy based saucepan to low.  Add and fry the garlic, shallot, and chillies for about 10 minutes until they are fragrant and softened.
5. Add the scallops, shrimps, prosciutto/ jamón, salt, sugar, chilli powder, soy sauce, and ¼ cup of the reserved soaking liquid from the scallops.  Bring it to a simmer, stirring regularly, for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is evaporated and absorbed.
6. Add the remaining oil and reduce the heat to very low.  Let the ingredients infuse in the oil for an hour or two, stirring regularly to ensure the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pan or burn.  The sauce is done when its colour darkens and thickens.
7. Transfer the sauce to prepared jars and seal with lids.  Label and date.   Refrigerate jars when the sauce is cool.  The sauce will keep for about 3 months.

Source (with adaptations): Adam Liaw