As of late, Kyle has enjoyed working with a variety Asian-inspired ingredients (case in point: Zar’atar Roasted Carrots & Golden Beets and Thai Style Pesto Sauce), Kyle’s new creation, a side dish, gets its boost of flavor from “XO” Sauce. This condiment originated in Hong Kong in the 1980s for Cantonese cuisine. The name “XO” derives from Hong Kong pop culture as a term for a high-quality, chic product (and is actually inspired by XO cognac).
This addictive sauce gets its diverse flavor from a combination of dried scallops, dried shrimp, Chinese ham, garlic and chili, resulting in a salty, spicy, umami-with-a-side-of-funk, multifaceted taste experience. The original recipe was discovered on Bon Appetit – Green Beans with Mushroom XO Sauce. Kyle, by utilizing this source of inspiration, could now venture into the art of XO sauce making.
The creation of this recipe swapped in mushrooms for the Chinese ham, instantly breaking tradition and allowing for further adaptations. The use of mushrooms was a saucy nod to green bean casseroles, therefore merging the concepts of a trendy, Chinese condiment with a ubiquitous American comfort food.
Kyle used the same concept as this pescatarian XO sauce, but nixed the mushroom soy sauce (could NOT find it anywhere, bummer…), black vinegar, dried shrimp and chili oil for some more common and easier to find pantry items. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce and sesame oil are bit less mysterious AND easier to find whether you are searching at the grocery store or the cabinet in your kitchen.
So, the modification of Bon Appetit’s more traditional XO sauce became an R&D-type mission until Kyle’s sauce loosely resembled the original inspiration for the recipe. The final dish – absolutely no less delicious!
This third-generation XO sauce, with its perfect amalgamation of umami flavors combined with the complex heat of the chili sauce, provides an exciting twist to any weekend meal. Creating this green bean side dish will impress anyone who comes over to enjoy an evening meal at your home.
Another omission from the recipe was the cognac; there wasn’t any on hand. This may eliminate the XO origins to the dish itself; however, the final product was packed with enough flavor to be awarded the “XO” moniker of quality in Hong Kong. At least that’s our story, and we are stickin’ to it! Try it, I am confident you will agree.
Adapted from Bon Appetit.
- 8 ounces green beans
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diiced
- ½-inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- A dash of kosher salt, to taste
- Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar. Set sauce aside.
- Trim stem ends of green beans. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook beans, tossing occasionally, until blistered in spots and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to same skillet and cook shiitake mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add shallot, garlic, and ginger,and cook, tossing occasionally, just until aromatics have softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chili sauce and reserved “XO” sauce and cook for another minute or 2. Add the sesame oil and reserved green beans and toss well to combine. Season with a dash of kosher salt if needed.
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