Lobster in XO Sauce

XO sauce includes dried scallop, red chili pepper, Jinhua ham, dried shrimp, garlic and canola oil.

XO sauce is a spicy seafood sauce from Hong Kong with an umami flavor. It is commonly used in southern Chinese regions such as Guangdong.

Ingredients

• 1 × 700–800 g (1 lb 9 oz-1 lb 12 oz) live lobster
• vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• ½ Spanish onion, cut into wedges
• ½ red capsicum (pepper), cut into large dice
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• ½ knob of ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 teaspoons shaoxing
• 3 tablespoons XO sauce
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 100 ml (3½ fl oz) fresh chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• freshly ground white pepper
• 2 spring onions (scallions), cut into julienne
• 1 large handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves

Method

1. Kill the lobster humanely, then cut in half lengthways and clean inside. Cut each half crossways into thirds.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or deep-fryer until just smoking (180°C/350°F), and deep-fry the lobster in batches until golden brown, then remove and drain on paper towel. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of oil.
3. Add the onion, capsicum, garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Deglaze the wok with the shaoxing and add the XO sauce, soy sauce, sugar, chicken stock and sesame oil. Return the lobster to the wok and stir-fry until the sauce thickens enough to coat the lobster. Spoon onto a plate, give a good grind of pepper and top with spring onions and coriander leaves to serve.