Brothless Ramen with XO Sauce (XO Mazemen)
Nov 22, 2024 12:30 PM
Brothless Ramen with XO Sauce is a highly flavorful noodle dish that is a mash up of Japanese Mezeman (mixed noodles) and a sauce created in Hong Kong that is a total umami bomb.
Take some cooked ramen noodles and toss them with a mixture of XO sauce, oil or rendered fat, rice vinegar, and soy sauce and you have a magical mixture of noodles and sauce that is tasty, filling, and will introduce you to the spicy seafood condiment that was developed in the 1980s in Hong Kong.
XO sauce is a relatively new condiment used by Hong Kong chefs. It is basically a flavor bomb made with dried fish such as scallops and shrimp, along with ham, shallots, garlic, and chilies.
It is an expensive condiment, but a little goes a long way. It includes dried scallops and dried shrimp. You can make your own XO sauce if you have access to all of the ingredients, and there are wonderful recipes in books such as A Very Chinese Cookbook by Kevin Pang of America's Test Kitchen, and The Breath of a Wok by Grace Young.
I used a jarred XO sauce that I found in a local Chinese grocery store. The bottle was super tiny, and definitely not cheap, but the sauce was a total flavor bomb. It's been referred to as the "caviar of the Orient."
XO sauce got it's name from a luxury cognac brand, although it doesn't contain any cognac. Basically, the name is a signal to why the condiment is so pricey.
If you can't find XO sauce, you could probably substitute some chili crisp combined with a little fish sauce and oyster sauce. It won't be the same, but the noodles will still be satisfying.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons XO sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 ounces dried ramen noodles or about 5 ounces fresh noodles
- 5 to 6 blanched sugar snap peas
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
5 minutes
Total Time:
15 minutes
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