Morel Mushroom XO Sauce with Lap Cheong, Dried Shrimp, and Ramp Oil

Ingredients

• ▸60 g dried morel mushrooms, rehydrated in warm water 30 minutes, soaking liquid reserved
• ▸150 g lap cheong (Chinese cured sausage), finely minced
• ▸80 g dried shrimp (medium grade), soaked in cold water 20 minutes, drained
• ▸1 whole head garlic, cloves peeled and roughly chopped
• ▸40 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
• ▸6 dried red chilies (Facing Heaven or Tianjin), seeds removed, roughly chopped
• ▸2 tbsp doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste), for depth
• ▸1 tbsp oyster sauce
• ▸2 tsp fish sauce
• ▸1 tsp white sugar
• ▸1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ▸1/2 tsp white pepper, freshly ground
• ▸300 ml neutral oil (grapeseed or rice bran), divided
• ▸12 wild ramp bulbs with lower stems, cleaned and roughly chopped
• ▸6 ramp leaves, reserved separately for finishing oil
• ▸2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• ▸1 tbsp light soy sauce
• ▸1 tsp dark soy sauce
• ▸1/2 tsp MSG (optional but encouraged)

Instructions

1. 1

   1. MAKE THE RAMP CONFIT OIL: Combine 200 ml neutral oil and the chopped ramp bulbs and stems in a small saucepan. Heat over the lowest possible flame until tiny bubbles form around the ramps (roughly 80–90°C / 175–195°F — use a thermometer). Confit at this temperature for 25 minutes, maintaining gentle sizzle. Add ramp leaves in the final 3 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing solids to extract maximum oil. Discard solids. Reserve ramp oil in a jar — it will be a luminous, allium-forward green-gold. Set aside.

2. 2

   2. PREP THE MORELS: Drain rehydrated morels, squeezing gently. Reserve 120 ml of the soaking liquid, pouring carefully to leave any grit behind. Finely chop morels into roughly 3–4 mm pieces — you want texture, not mush. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels; moisture is the enemy of a good fry.

3. 3

   3. PROCESS THE SHRIMP: Pulse drained dried shrimp in a food processor 8–10 times until coarsely chopped but not powdered — you want varied texture. Set aside.

4. 4

   4. RENDER THE LAP CHEONG: In a wide, heavy-bottomed wok or saucepan, heat remaining 100 ml neutral oil over medium heat. Add minced lap cheong and fry, stirring frequently, for 6–8 minutes until fat renders and edges crisp slightly. The oil will turn a gorgeous amber-orange. Do not drain — this fat is the foundation.

5. 5

   5. BUILD THE AROMATICS: Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and ginger to the lap cheong fat and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until softened and fragrant but not browned. Add dried chilies and stir 1 minute more.

6. 6

   6. ADD SHRIMP AND MORELS: Increase heat to medium. Add chopped dried shrimp and fry 4–5 minutes until they begin to color and smell deeply toasty. Add chopped morels and stir-fry 5–6 minutes until they've expelled their moisture and begun to crisp at the edges. This is where the magic happens — listen for the sizzle to intensify as moisture cooks off.

7. 7

   7. DEGLAZE AND SEASON: Add doubanjiang and stir into the mixture for 2 minutes, letting it fry slightly. Splash in Shaoxing wine — stand back, it'll steam dramatically. Add the reserved morel soaking liquid, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, white pepper, and MSG if using. Stir to combine.

8. 8

   8. CONFIT THE SAUCE: Pour the prepared ramp confit oil over the entire mixture — it should just barely submerge the solids. If needed, add a splash more neutral oil. Reduce heat to the absolute lowest setting and confit the entire sauce for 35–40 minutes, stirring every 8–10 minutes, until the mixture is deeply fragrant, the oil has absorbed all the flavors, and everything is suspended in a jammy, glistening mass. The oil should be gently bubbling, not frying aggressively.

9. 9

   9. FINAL SEASONING: Remove from heat. Taste carefully — it will be intensely savory. Adjust with salt, a pinch more sugar, or a few drops more fish sauce. The sauce should be complex, funky, sweet-salty-umami with a lingering allium note that creeps up on you.

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    10. JAR AND STORE: Spoon into sterilized glass jars while still warm, ensuring the oil covers the solids completely (this is the preservation layer). Let cool to room temperature before sealing. Refrigerate for up to 6 weeks. The flavor deepens dramatically after 48 hours — try to wait.

Variations

• ◆VEGAN FOREST XO: Replace lap cheong with finely diced smoked king oyster mushrooms crisped in sesame oil, swap dried shrimp for rehydrated wakame chopped fine, and use miso paste instead of oyster and fish sauce — the umami scaffolding holds up surprisingly well.
• ◆TRUFFLE ESCALATION: Add 1 tsp black truffle paste and a splash of truffle oil in the final 5 minutes of confit for a fully unhinged luxury version that costs approximately one mortgage payment per jar but is worth it for special occasions.
• ◆SICHUAN HEAT BOMB: Double the dried chilies, add 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn (toasted and cracked) with the aromatics, and finish with 1 tsp chili crisp stirred in off-heat — transforms the sauce from luxurious condiment to face-tingling obsession.