Black Magic XO Sauce
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Moderate
Cuisine
Asian
Servings
3-4 Batches
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
XO sauce is an umami-rich Chinese condiment made from dried seafood (we use shrimp), cured ham, chili, garlic, and shallots, and more. This sauce is a power move in any kitchen, but this version gets the Black Magic treatment—deep smoky notes from blackened ham, chilies, and garlic, balanced by the oceanic umami of dried shrimp and the complexity of Shaoxing wine. It’s built in layers, meant to be stashed in your fridge and stolen by everyone who tastes it.
Author:Chef Christian Gill
Ingredients
-
1 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp Spiceology Black Magic Blackening Blend
-
1/2 cup and 1/3 cup Shaoxing Rice Cooking Wine
-
3 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce/ Mushroom Soy Sauce
-
9 oz (3- 3 oz packs) Dried Shrimp
-
1/8 cup Shallot (minced)
-
1/8 cup Fresh Garlic (minced)
-
2 Serrano Chilies (minced)
-
1 lb Irish bacon or country ham
-
2 cups Chicken Stock
-
1/4 cup Fish sauce
-
1 quart and 3 cups Neutral Frying Oil
-
1/8 cup Brown Sugar
Directions
Place dried shrimp in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp of Shaoxing wine and add boiling water until shrimp are heavily submerged. over the top to submerge the seafood. Let the shrimp soak in the shaoxing water bath covered tightly with plastic wrap for at minimum 45 minutes to 2 hours.
In a large skillet, sear off bacon and drain fat off. Finely chop bacon/ham by hand until you have a coarse sand consistency. Set aside.
Once shrimp have soaked up most of the liquid, save 1/2 a cup of the liquid and strain the rest from the shrimp. Combine Chicken stock with brown sugar and reserved shrimp liquid and set aside. Use paper towels to press any remaining liquid out of the shrimp and discard.
Place shrimp in a food processor and pulse to a coarse sand consistency.
In a medium sauce pan add shallots, garlic, and 4 cups of room temp neutral frying oil. Turn on heat to medium high and slowly let the shallots and garlic bubble to the top. Add serrano chilies and fry till the garlic and shallots are a light gold. Strain fried aromatics out the sauce pan and set aside.
Save garlic/shallot oil but turn off the heat.
In a large deep skillet, Dutch oven, or wok, bring 3 cups of neutral frying oil to 250 degrees.
Add rehydrated shrimp and fry for 10 minutes or golden brown and very fragrant. Add the finely chopped bacon/ham and fry for 5 more minutes. slowly incorporate the chopped serrano peppers and continue cooking over medium high heat for 3-5 more minutes. Add fried garlic, shallots, and serrano chilies and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add blended chicken and shrimp stock, 1/2 cup of shaoxing cooking wine, and soy sauce.
Reduce until mixture darkens to a dark robust burgundy. Add fish sauce and 2 tbsp of black magic and continue to cook over medium high heat. Add 2 cups of garlic oil and remove from heat.
Stir well and add remaining tbsp of Black Magic.
Transfer to sterile mason jars, seal, and let cool on the counter for 30 minutes before storing in the fridge.
