Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce leans on a trio of umami-heavy ingredients: dried scallops, dried shrimp, and cured Chinese pork (specifically, Jinhua ham), for their powerful flavors. I have never had a bad XO. This is an expensive sauce, as dried seafood does not come cheaply, but homemade beats store-bought any day because you can control the quality of the ingredients and the care that goes into the preparation. I use smoky bacon in this recipe because I can’t get my hands on Jinhua ham. Unfortunately, the product is prohibited from importation into the United States, and regular Chinese cured bacon is too sweet for this sauce. Fun fact about the recipe’s name: Although the sauce contains no alcohol, it was dubbed XO sauce thanks to Cantonese people’s deep love of Cognac, specifically Hennessy X.O, an aged and expensive spirit. In Hong Kong, the term XO is often used to signify a product that is extra luxurious.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
Makes 2¾ cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a medium pot, bring a steamer setup to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat. Add ¾ cup dried scallops, ⅓ cup dried shrimp, and ⅓ cup dried anchovies to a small steaming tray. Carefully lower the steaming tray onto the steaming rack. Cover and steam the dried seafood until soft, 10–15 minutes. Once the seafood has softened, remove the tray from the steamer setup and set the seafood aside to cool.
Step 2
Add the cooled seafood to a food processor and pulse until the scallops are shredded into skinny strands and the shrimp and anchovies look like they have been coarsely chopped. Set the seafood aside.
Step 3
In a small pot over low heat, combine 3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice, and 2 Tbsp. water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon renders most of its fat and begins to brown and crisp up along the edges and the water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high, add 1 small shallot, minced, 8 garlic cloves, minced, and 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, minced, and sweat them in the oil, stirring often to prevent any browning, until fragrant and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved seafood, 3 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine, 1 Tbsp. toasted white sesame seeds, 1 Tbsp. gochugaru (Korean chile flakes), 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce, 2 tsp. fennel seeds, 1½ tsp. sugar, 1½ tsp. MSG, and 1½ tsp. fish sauce and stir with a spoon until well mixed, scraping to prevent sticking.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to low and pour in 2 cups neutral oil, preferably grapeseed. Bring oil to a simmer and cook, stirring every so often, until the sauce is fragrant and infused, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
Do Ahead: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
