Why It’s a Very Good Idea to Put XO Sauce on Everything
If you’re looking for an umami-packed sauce that makes all your meat, fish or rice taste better, look no further. XO sauce is what you need.
XO sauce originated in Hong Kong and was named after XO (extra old) cognac. The two letters indicate the exclusivity and luxury of the ingredients, because quite a few expensive ingredients go into it. The base is dried seafood, usually shrimp and scallops—especially the latter, which significantly drive up the price. As if that weren’t enough, dried ham or bacon is added too. Can you taste the umami yet?
Expensive, though
Together with lots of shallots, garlic and chili, everything is slowly braised and then seasoned with fish sauce and soy sauce. The result is a sticky sauce with a lot of flavor. A small jar quickly costs €12 to €15 in the store. Delicious, but it doesn’t compare to the homemade version. Making it yourself isn’t difficult; for example, use this recipe. Short on cash or can’t find dried scallops? You can also replace them with extra dried shrimp. I’ve done that a few times too, and it was still incredibly delicious.
Storage
It keeps for a few months in the refrigerator, so make a whole lot and eat it with everything. Tip: freeze the sauce in small portions in sandwich bags (you often only need 1–2 tablespoons for a dish), and it will keep even longer. Small amounts also thaw very quickly; you can even throw them straight from the freezer into the pan as a kind of bouillon cube.
On everything
So what can you eat it with? Well, everything. Anything you want to give an instant Asian flavor boost benefits from a little of the stuff. Serve it with rice or noodles, or toss your dumplings in it; it’s also delicious with fish or clams. Or roast pork belly, cut it into pieces and stir-fry it briefly with XO sauce. My dim sum favorite, turnip cake (you can make it yourself, but you can also buy it ready-made from the freezer section of an Asian supermarket), is also delicious when cut into cubes and tossed in the wok with XO sauce. Because the sauce already has so much flavor, you don’t need anything else at all. A fun outing once it’s possible again: eat turnip cake in XO sauce at Hoi Tin, the hotspot in Amsterdam’s Chinatown.
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