I first encountered XO sauce while working at a fine-dining restaurant in Boston, and instantly fell in love with it. It's savory, spicy, and sweet all at the same time, with a can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it depth to it that makes it all the more enticing. Like most of the other condiments on this list, XO sauce packs an umami wallop that makes it an ideal flavor enhancer for tons of savory dishes, cementing its place in the Hall of Fame of condiments.
From there, the XO can be jarred up and stored in the refrigerator for well over a month, but I guarantee it will be hard to keep it around for that long. As with chili crisp, you can buy jarred XO sauce in Chinese food markets or online, but a small, eight-ounce jar can easily run you $30 or more. Along with being very expensive, store-bought XO can be overly sweet, and can vary wildly in quality. Making it yourself is much more economical, and satisfying. Here's how to do it.Depending on where you live, procuring the ingredients for XO may be the most challenging part of this recipe.
Fair warning: Even if the shrimp and scallops are totally fine, you won't wish that you could get their smell in scented-candle form. They smell like what they are—dried raw seafood. Unfortunately, true Jinhua ham, from Zhejiang province in China, can't legally be imported to the United States. There are domestically produced hams, sold in Chinese markets, that emulate the style of Jinhua ham. This Jinhua-style ham is similar in texture and saltiness toI've made XO sauce in restaurants using country ham, prosciutto andscraps, and even high-quality slab bacon. What you're looking for is salty, cured pork flavor, with a hint of smokiness.
Once they have finished soaking, drain the shrimp completely, and then drain the scallops of all but a couple of tablespoons of water. I then pop a lid on the scallops and steam them in the microwave for a few minutes, until they are fully softened and can easily be broken down into strand-like filaments when you pinch them between your fingers.
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