XO sauce

Separate the lean part of the bacon from the fat and wash it with hot water.

Cut the bacon into smaller pieces, put the shrimp, scallop and bacon in a steamer and add Chinese cooking wine to fill half the bowl.

Steam on high 25 minutes from the boil to rehydrate and soften; keep the drained liquid.

Smash and finely dice 25 to 30 cloves of garlic by hand and dice one medium onion.

Pulse the scallop in a food processor on and off three or four times to a loose form, not a paste; do the same with the shrimp and the bacon.

Feel the moisture level of the three; if they differ, the wettest goes in the oil first.

Add the three to three cups of canola oil from cold and cook on low, stirring, so they simmer in the oil.

Once the moisture has come off and the oil appears on top, add the whole dried shrimp kept for presentation.

Fry on low 35 to 45 minutes in total, stirring continually, until light golden brown and the moisture is gone.

Lift out into a sieve and shake off the oil.

In a big frying pan combine the fried ingredients with half a cup of the steamed liquid, 2 to 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 to 4 tablespoons of oyster sauce and a tablespoon of sugar; taste and adjust.

Cook on medium 8 to 10 minutes to reduce the liquid, stirring until no liquid is left and it sizzles.

In the leftover oil on low fry the cilantro stems, the knotted scallion, the ginger slices, the diced onion and the diced garlic, stirring, about 20 minutes until golden.

Take out the cilantro, scallion and ginger.

Return the fried seafood and ham to the wok, mix, and add 1.5 tablespoons of chili flake and 2 teaspoons of black pepper.

Turn off the heat, cool with the lid on and store in boiled, dried containers under the oil.