I want to share with you three quick and easy recipes with XO sauce. in this article.

XO sauce has a unique and intense flavor suitable as a condiment and seasoning nearly for every dish. XO sauce is available from the Asian grocery or online. However, it is expensive, and therefore it is worth making it yourself. I have a separate article to explain how to make XO sauce at home. 

I will explain how to use XO sauce to prepare three of my favorite dishes in this article which is the quintessential style of Cantonese cooking. The usage of XO sauce is limitless. Besides these dishes, you can also use XO sauce for fried noodles, topping for tofu, stir fry vegetables, and even make omelets. It is also suitable for stir-fry chicken, fish fillet, and all sorts of vegetables. Let me know in the comment if you want to share your favorite way of using XO sauce.

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Three quick and easy recipes

Here are three recipes with XO sauce to demonstrate how to use XO sauce in Cantonese cooking.

Recipe 1- XO sauce fried rice 

The first recipe is simple fried rice. I only use garlic, egg, and scallion as the main ingredients and let the magic of XO sauce accentuate the flavor. Of course, you can add chicken, seafood, and other vegetables into the recipe, but I would prefer using more  XO sauce as a topping for a more intense flavor.

Ingredients
250g steamed rice, preferably kept overnight in the fridge
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 beaten eggs
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 stalk scallion, cut into thin rings
1 heap tbsp of XO sauce (more if you wish)
Method
1. Heat the oil to moderate heat in a well-seasoned wok.
2. Saute the chopped garlic until it turns fragrant and becomes lightly golden.
3. Add the beaten eggs and spread them to form a thin layer. When it’s about to set, push the egg gently and break it up into small pieces.
4. Add the overnight cooked rice. Keep the heat low so that you have time to break up the lumps of rice with the wok spatula.  After breaking up all the large lumps of rice, mix it with the egg.
5. Add some light soy sauce and salt to season the rice.
6. Add half of the XO sauce and scallion to the rice.
7. Turn up the heat. Stir fry over high heat until smoke starts rising and the rice smells fragrant, which takes about half to one minute.
8. Dish out. Sprinkle the remaining scallion and the XO sauce on top of the rice to serve.

Recipe 2- Stir-fry mushrooms and vegetables

The second recipe leverages the flavor of XO sauce to stir-fry mushrooms. You can substitute the shitake and king oyster mushrooms with other mushrooms of your choice.

Ingredients
10 small bok choy, wash and halved lengthwise
Water to blanch the bok choy with two teaspoons of salt added.
1/2 carrot cut into small sticks
150g shiitake mushrooms
150g king oyster mushrooms, cut into half-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
dash of ground white pepper
1 tsp cornstarch (plus one tablespoon of water for a slurry)
2 tbsp of XO sauce
Method
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tsp of salt. Blanch the bok choy for one minute. Drain.
2. Blanch the carrot for one minute, drain.
3. Heat the oil in the wok to moderate heat. Saute the garlic until aromatic.
4. Add the mushrooms, carrots, half of the XO sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and white pepper.
5. Stir-fry for two minutes. Add one to two tablespoons of water if it is too dry.
6. Add the cornstarch slurry to thicken it.
7. Arrange the bok choy along the peripheral of a round plate. Place the stir-fried mushrooms at the center.
8. Garnish the remaining XO sauce on top of the mushrooms and serve.

Recipe 3- As the topping for fish fillet

The third recipe with XO sauce that I want o share is to use XO sauce to stir-fry asparagus and as the topping for fish fillet.

Yield: 6 servings

How to use XO sauce - XO sauce with asparagus & fish fillet

Print

XO sauce has a unique and intense flavor suitable as a condiment and seasoning nearly for every dish. This recipe demonstrates the versatility of XO used in different cuisine.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredient A (for the asparagus)

• 10 medium-sized asparagus
• 2 tsp oil*
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp XO sauce
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Ingredient B (for the fish fillet)

• 200g fish fillet of your choice
• Salt and pepper to season.
• Sufficient cornstarch to coat the fish fillet
• 1 tbsp XO sauce
• Thinly sliced red chilies and scallion to garnish

Instructions

Asparagus:

1. Snap the asparagus at a natural point where the tough and the tender part of the stem meet. Next, remove the outer layer of the stem, which is fibrous, with a vegetable peeler.
2. Heat the oil in the pan. Saute the chopped garlic until lightly brown and aromatic.
3. Add the asparagus, and season with salt and light soy sauce.
4. Saute the asparagus for a minute. Add some water.
5. Add a tbsp of XO sauce and mix with the asparagus.
6. Mix the cornstarch with a tbsp of water to form a slurry. Add to the pan to thicken the sauce.
7. Arrange the asparagus on a serving plate.

Fish fillet:

1. Clean the fish fillet of your choice. Keep it dry with a paper towel.
2. Cut the fish fillet into large chunks.
3. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides.
4. Coat the fish fillet with cornstarch
5. Pan-fry the fish fillet on both sides until golden.
6. Arrange them on the bed of asparagus.
7. Place the chili and scallion on each fish fillet.
8. Finally, spoon a large dollop of XO sauce on the chili and scallion. Serve.

Notes

*Use the oil from the XO sauce for the best result.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 100Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 315mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 15g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 9/9/2021