Umami oil ("XO pepperoni sauce") from The Wok - Recipes and Techniques (page 303) by J. Kenji López-Alt

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Can substitute dashi for low-sodium chicken broth, dried shiitake or dried maitake mushrooms for dried porcini mushrooms, Spanish chorizo sausages for pepperoni, pancetta for bacon, and shoyu for light soy sauce.

  • Fyretigger on March 15, 2026

    So the flavor of this develops with time. It’s even better after about a month of storage. And I discovered some interesting uses… A tablespoon added to stock turns any steamed dumpling into soup… Paired with cream cheese on toast is sinfully good; there’s the germ of a restaurant worthy dish there, maybe topped with a seared scallop?

  • Fyretigger on February 15, 2026

    I second the opinion that this is a winner. It’s a little more of a western flavor profile than traditional XO. I was a little short on the gochugaru, so I added a 1/2 tsp of szechuan red pepper. I already had mixed dried mushrooms, I used those rather than buying specific. It ended up making about 2 1/2 cups.

  • eclairea on January 02, 2026

    This is the best. I made it a couple of months ago and I still have a bit left. Perfect for those meals when I’m too lazy to figure out what to cook and I can just boil some knife-cut noodles, toss it in with this sauce and whatever greens I have on hand. Weeknight secret weapon!

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