you hear pro-chefs speak poetically of umami... yea. we all know now.
I thought I knew it all. but this weekend I was at an Asian Grocery store. I needed XO sauce. I picked up some small oily jars...$6.99. they looked bleak. there were $27 dollar jars but they were hidden in cardboard sleeves. total mystery box. I put it all back. I didnt have that warm fuzzy feeling about buying mystery XO sauce. so naturally I came home and googled it. I decided to make it myself. I have dried scallops and dried shrimp. mine are good ones, so I went to the store to buy cheaper dried shrimp and the rest of the fresh incredients. basically some red pepper, and shallots. I own a lot of dried scallops.
I just half heartedly listened in on a work WebEX meeting and made my sauce. I just went with it. I could only find a red bell pepper, and I added a tiny sliver of red Thai chilis..and I just did what felt natural. I read a bunch of recipes and they were all over the map. I figured I could do no wrong.
I am done. I tasted it and now I truly understand umami. it is the biggest in yo face, slap yourself silly umami. I poorly prepared and had to scramble to find random empty jars. hahah..
but BADUSH!!! my first XO sauce. (and we never forget our first). XO sauce is a Hong Kong condiment invented in the 1980's and it was aptly named because all the ingredients are expensive. like the fancy cognac.
I thought I knew it all. but this weekend I was at an Asian Grocery store. I needed XO sauce. I picked up some small oily jars...$6.99. they looked bleak. there were $27 dollar jars but they were hidden in cardboard sleeves. total mystery box. I put it all back. I didnt have that warm fuzzy feeling about buying mystery XO sauce. so naturally I came home and googled it. I decided to make it myself. I have dried scallops and dried shrimp. mine are good ones, so I went to the store to buy cheaper dried shrimp and the rest of the fresh incredients. basically some red pepper, and shallots. I own a lot of dried scallops.
I just half heartedly listened in on a work WebEX meeting and made my sauce. I just went with it. I could only find a red bell pepper, and I added a tiny sliver of red Thai chilis..and I just did what felt natural. I read a bunch of recipes and they were all over the map. I figured I could do no wrong.
I am done. I tasted it and now I truly understand umami. it is the biggest in yo face, slap yourself silly umami. I poorly prepared and had to scramble to find random empty jars. hahah..
but BADUSH!!! my first XO sauce. (and we never forget our first). XO sauce is a Hong Kong condiment invented in the 1980's and it was aptly named because all the ingredients are expensive. like the fancy cognac.