This is my XO sauce, one of my all-round go-to’s for meat and fish. I encourage you to make this and store it, as it will keep for months in the fridge in a sealed container.

What you will need

• • 100g (3½ oz) dried scallops

• • 25g (1 oz) dried shrimps

• • 250g (9 oz) shiitake mushrooms

• • 200ml (7fl oz) grapeseed oil

• • 50g (2 oz) garlic, peeled

• • 100g (4 oz) Mason’s Meats Beef Sticks, skin removed and finely chopped 

• • 50g (2 oz) Mason’s Meats Beef Brisket

• • 250g (9 oz) shallots, peeled

• • 50g (2 oz) ginger, peeled

• • 5g (¼ teaspoon) chilli flakes

• • 100g (3½ oz) sherry vinegar

• • 100g (3½ oz) Madeira wine

• • 50g (2 oz) rice wine vinegar

• • Soy and anchovy sauce, to taste

• • Equipment: Jug Blender

Method

1.  Soak the dried scallops and shrimps in a bowl of water overnight in the fridge.

2.  Blend the shiitake in a blender until coarse. Heat half the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan on a medium–high heat. Add the Beef Sticks and Beef Brisket trim, heat and cook for 10 minutes until caramelized. 

3.  Blend the garlic, shallots and ginger in the same jug used for the mushrooms until coarse and add to the mushrooms, then cook for a further 10 minutes, until caramelized.

4.  Add the chilli flakes and deglaze the pan with the sherry vinegar, Madeira and rice wine vinegar, scraping all the bits off of the base of the pan. Cook for 20 minutes until the liquid has reduced to a thick glaze. Season with the soy and anchovy sauces to taste.

5.  Blend the scallops and shrimp until coarse in a blender. In a separate pan, cook for 30 minutes in the remaining oil until caramelized.

6.  Once cooked and caramelized, add it to the rest of the mix. Store in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to use.

To serve: 

7.  To cook the fish, preheat the oven to 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

8.  Lay the salmon fillets on a greaseproof-lined tray and spoon over 20g (¾ oz) of the XO paste – you can add as much or as little as you like.

9.  Place in the oven and cook to your liking, around 10 minutes.

By Sat Bains