XO sauce is a funky chilli and pork sauce that adds a wonderful depth of flavour to Chinese dishes, but it takes time and lots of ingredients to make at home. This is a great little shortcut, using a jar of ready-made bacon jam (easily available online and in supermarkets) and adding a twist with soy sauce, fish sauce and rice vinegar.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 350g (12oz) red cabbage (about 1/3), finely shredded
- 1/2 Chinese cabbage, shredded
- 1 large carrot (150g/5oz), peeled and julienned or shredded
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 100g (3 1/2oz) jar bacon jam
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp reduced salt soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 bird's-eye chilli, finely chopped
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
Method
- Put the shredded cabbages and carrot into a salad bowl. Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl, pour over the salad and toss to combine. Set aside to soften and macerate.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. Season the chicken and fry over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes on each side until just cooked. Set aside to rest.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan warm the bacon jam with the fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and chilli.
- Chop the chicken and add to the salad with the warm bacon jam. Toss to combine before serving.