XO Sauce (Hong Kong — Dried Scallop, Ham, Prawn — Umami Bomb)

Ingredients

• 50 g dried scallops (roe intact, premium grade)
• 40 g Jinhua ham or Serrano ham, finely diced
• 60 g dried shrimp, medium grade
• 8 g dried bird's eye chillies, deseeded
• 100 ml neutral oil (vegetable or peanut)
• 30 g shallots, thinly sliced
• 8 g garlic, minced
• 4 g Sichuan peppercorns, ground
• 3 g sea salt
• 5 ml oyster sauce
• 2 g white pepper

Method

1. 1
   Soak dried scallops in 80 ml warm water for 10 minutes; reserve soaking liquid and shred scallops with a fork into fine threads.
2. 2
   Finely chop dried shrimp and chillies; combine in a bowl.
3. 3
   Heat oil in a wok over medium-low heat; add sliced shallots and sauté gently for 2 minutes until softened but not coloured.
4. 4
   Add minced garlic, Sichuan pepper, shredded scallops, shrimp, and chillies; stir-fry for 3 minutes until fragrant.
5. 5
   Add salt, oyster sauce, reserved scallop soaking liquid (strain through cheesecloth), and white pepper; simmer for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. 6
   Cool to room temperature; transfer to sterilised jars.
7. 7
   STORAGE: Refrigerate up to 8 weeks; oil layer seals surface.
8. 8
   USE: 1 tbsp (15 g) per serving swirled into congee, noodles, or dim sum; intense umami and textural complexity.
9. 9
   XO SAUCE (Hong Kong — Umami Bomb)
10. 10
    Yield: 250 ml jar | Prep: 20 min | Total: 45 min
11. 11
    40 g dried scallops (conpoy — premium grade, hand-shredded)
12. 12
    30 g Jinhua ham or prosciutto di Parma (finely diced)
13. 13
    50 g dried prawns (reconstituted, finely minced)
14. 14
    60 ml neutral oil (peanut or vegetable)
15. 15
    20 g shallots (thinly sliced)
16. 16
    15 g garlic (minced)
17. 17
    8 g bird's eye chillies (dried, minced)
18. 18
    5 g rock sugar (single crystal)
19. 19
    10 ml soy sauce (naturally fermented)
20. 20
    5 ml sesame oil (toasted)
21. 21
    2 g sea salt (to taste)
22. 22
    Toast shredded scallops briefly in dry pan over low heat (2 minutes); set aside.
23. 23
    Infuse neutral oil with shallots and garlic over gentle heat until fragrant and pale gold (5–6 minutes); do not brown.
24. 24
    Add dried chillies, minced prawns, and diced ham; stir constantly for 3–4 minutes until aromatics deepen.
25. 25
    Return scallops to pan; add rock sugar and soy sauce; simmer gently for 5 minutes.
26. 26
    Remove from heat; cool to room temperature, then stir in sesame oil and sea salt.
27. 27
    Transfer to sterilized glass jar; cover and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.
28. 28
    USE: 1–2 tsp in noodles, rice, steamed fish, or as a finishing condiment.
29. 29
    A tablespoon of XO sauce in fried rice transforms it from simple to extraordinary — toss in at the very end
30. 30
    For a vegetarian approximation: dried shiitake mushrooms and dried tomatoes replace the seafood components
31. 31
    XO sauce keeps refrigerated for months under oil — replenish the oil surface after each use
32. 32
    Steamed tofu with XO sauce and crispy shallots is one of the simplest great Cantonese preparations
33. 33
    XO sauce heated with butter (equal parts) makes a pasta sauce of shocking depth — serves 4 from a tablespoon