Chef's Recipes

Andrew McConnell: Wilted greens with XO

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for Wilted greens with XO from Andrew McConnell, Golden Fields

By Andrew McConnell
  • 25 mins preparation
  • 20 mins cooking plus soaking
  • Serves 4
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Andrew McConnell: Wilted greens with XO
“Tony Tan’s recipe for XO sauce is the best ever – it should almost go without saying. It’s a no-brainer.”

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 small bok choy, halved
  • 1 bunch spinach, torn
  • 100 gm Chinese cabbage, sliced into 1cm strips (1 cup)
XO sauce
  • 200 ml vegetable oil
  • 75 gm garlic cloves (about 14), thinly sliced
  • 75 gm golden shallots (about 4), thinly sliced
  • 50 gm jamòn, finely chopped
  • 50 gm dried shrimp, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
  • 25 gm dried scallops, soaked in
  • 250ml cold water for 20 minutes, soaking liquid reserved
  • 25 gm fresh long red chilli, seeds removed, thinly sliced
  • 15 gm dried red chilli, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes, seeds removed, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp roasted shrimp paste (see note)
  • 15 gm caster sugar

Method

Main
  • 1
    For XO sauce, heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add garlic, shallot, jamòn, shrimp and scallop and stir occasionally until starting to colour (2 minutes). Add chillies, shrimp paste and sugar and stir occasionally until starting to caramelise (6-8 minutes). Add soaking liquid from scallops, then cook until liquid has reduced by half (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat, transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  • 2
    Heat oil in a large wok or saucepan over high heat, add bok choy and cook for 1 minute, tossing constantly to coat with oil. Add 2 tbsp water, cover, cook for 1 minute to steam, then remove lid and add spinach and cabbage. Stir until all vegetables are just cooked (1-2 minutes). Drain, toss with 2 tbsp XO sauce and serve hot. Remaining XO sauce will keep refrigerated for a month.

Notes

Note To roast shrimp paste, or belacan, wrap in aluminium foil and roast at 200C until fragrant (4-5 minutes).