XO Sauce
This umami sauce is worth the effort it takes to make
Makes enough for: 1 batch sauce
Ingredients
- 50 g dried shrimps
- boiling water for the shrimps and mushrooms
- 50 mls Shaoxing rice wine, divided
- 25 g dried forest mushrooms
- 250 mls canola oil
- 40 g proscuitto, sliced
- 2 mild chillies, sliced
- 4 cm fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 25 mls oyster sauce
- 7.5 mls soy sauce
- 7.5 mls fish sauce
- 15 mls coconut sugar
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
- 15 g baked sun dried onions, finely chopped
- 15 mls chilli flakes
Method
- Place the shrimps into a bowl cover with boiling water and add 15mls of the rice wine
- Set aside to soak for 45 minutes
- Place the mushrooms into a bowl and cover with boiling water
- Set aside to soak for 45 minutes
- Drain the shrimps, reserving the liquid, finely chop and set aside
- Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, finely chop and set aside
- Pour the oil into a heavy bottomed saucepan
- Bring up to 120° Celsius over a medium to high temperature
- Add the mushrooms and leave to cook for 5 minutes
- Add the shrimps, reduce the temperature slightly and leave to cook for 10 minutes
- Add the proscuitto, making sure the slices are separated, and leave to cook for 2 minutes
- Pour everything through a fine strainer, into a bowl, reserving the oil
- Pour the oil back into the saucepan, add the chillies and fry for 2 minutes
- Add the ginger and leave to cook for 2 minutes
- Reduce the temperature slightly, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, being sure not to colour it
- Strain into the bowl with the shrimps, reserving the oil
- Pour the soaking liquid from the shrimps and mushrooms into a small saucepan
- Add the rest of the rice wine, as well as the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and pepper
- Stir to combine, bring to a simmer over a medium temperature and leave to reduce by half
- Add the shrimp mixture, stir to combine and remove from the heat
- Place the pan with the oil back onto a medium to low temperature and when the oil is warm, add the shrimp mixture
- Cook until fragrant then remove from the heat
- Add the onions and chilli flakes and mix to combine
- At this stage, I blitzed the sauce using a stick blender but you don't have to
- Place into a sterilized glass jar and allow to cool before sealing
- Place into the fridge and use as needed, within 3 months
Notes
See this post on how I sterilize my glass jars.