Ben Nelms/The Globe and Mail
Chef Curtis Luk soaks the dried seafood in shaoxing wine to make his XO sauce, giving it a delicious depth of flavour.
Servings: 1 litre
Ingredients
1 bottle shaoxing wine (available at Asian supermarkets)
1 cup dried scallops
1/2 cup dried shrimp
1 1/2 cups neutral oil (grapeseed or peanut)
3/4 cup minced shallots
1/2 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup Chinese ham, chopped (if necessary, substitute double-smoked bacon)
3 tbsp crushed chili flakes
1 tbsp dried shrimp roe
Method
Place the dried scallops and shrimp into separate bowls. Bring about half of the shao xing wine and an equal amount of water to a boil (there should be enough liquid to completely cover the seafood). Once the liquid has reached a boil, pour it over the scallops and the shrimp. Allow to steep for about half an hour. Drain, reserving the liquid.
Pour about a third of the oil into a pot and cook the scallops at a moderate heat while breaking them up into smaller pieces. When they start browning slightly, set aside. Do the same with the shrimp, and then with the shallots, garlic and ham.
In a pot, combine the cooked ingredients. Add the chili flakes, shrimp roe and liquid used to steep the seafood.
Simmer on medium heat until the liquid has almost completely dried up and the mixture has browned a bit more. The texture should be oily, similar to pesto but more chunky and dry.
Allow the sauce to cool and store in the refrigerator.