Tomato & Anchovy XO
A Vasse Felix twist on a luxurious condiment that can double as an umami boost to many dishes, and lift your favourite roast lamb and red duo to new heights.
"WRoast lamb and Bordeaux is a classic pairing, and with lamb anchoiade (lamb and anchovy) being a famous dish of France, I figured why not put a Vasse Felix twist into the pairing? And so the Tomato and Anchovy XO was born. Anchovies are there to replace the dried scallops and prawns of the more traditional XO recipes, while the roasted tomato adds sweetness and umami in place of the usual chilli and dried seafood components. This recipe will make 500ml of our specialty Vasse Felix XO." Chef Brendan Pratt
Ingredients
20g Gochujang paste (found at supermarkets or Asian grocers)
75g Garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
75g brown onion, peeled and chopped
20g ginger, peeled and chopped
150g anchovy fillets, soaked in 1 litre of water for 30 minutes
125g caster sugar
80ml fish sauce
150g fresh tomato, cut in half 1tsp ground white pepper 300g grapeseed oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Slice the tomatoes in half, place onto a roasting tray. Coat tomatoes with a generous amount of oil. Place into oven for 20 minutes or until coloured and roasted, set aside to cool.
Add 100ml of oil to a heavy based pan.
First add the diced onion and sweat gently on a low heat.
Once translucent, add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes.
Once aromatic, add the Gochujang paste followed by the sugar, fish sauce and roasted tomatoes.
Drain the water from the anchovies and add.
Add the pepper and remainder of oil, simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Leave to cool for 20 minutes before blending until semi smooth. A little chunky is perfect. Serve with your favourite roast lamb and red wine.
Interesting Fact. XO sauce first appeared in Cantonese cuisine in the 1980s, made from a collection of the most prized ingredients from around China. It was named after XO Cognac (XO standing for extra old), the epitome of sophistication in Hong Kong at the time.