Instructions

1. XO Sauce:
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil until shimmering. Stir in the ginger, shallots, green onions, and garlic; turn the heat to low; and cook until the aromatics are darkened in color, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Stir in the tomato paste and chile flakes, then stir in the shrimp paste. Turn the heat to low and cook until very aromatic, about 30 minutes. In a small bowl, cover the dried shrimp or scallops with warm water and let soak for 20 minutes. Drain, then pulse in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment until shredded.
4. Stir the shrimp paste mixture into the garlic mixture. Add the remaining 1/2 cup oil, the shredded shrimp or scallops, and salami and cook over low heat until the salami darkens in color and the oil is red, about 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan over medium heat, combine the coriander seeds, peppercorns, and anise seeds and toast, tossing or stirring frequently, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Immediately transfer the contents of the pan to a dish and stir in the fennel pollen. Let cool, then transfer to a spice grinder and process until finely ground. Stir the ground spices into the sauce and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let cool.
6. Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
7. Dried Shrimp or Dried Scallops:
8. In a medium bowl, combine the water and salt (2 tablespoons if using shrimp 2 1/2 teaspoons if using scallops) and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Add the shrimp or scallops, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
9. Prepare a steamer in a wok or a large, lidded pot and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Drain the seafood and place in the steamer in a single layer. Cover and steam the shrimp for 20 minutes or the scallops for 1 hour, adding additional water to the pot halfway through as needed.
10. If you have a dehydrator, use it set to 150ºF for shrimp or 135ºF for scallops. Otherwise, preheat the oven to 150°F and place the seafood on a wire roasting rack set over a baking sheet, arranging them so none is touching.
11. Dehydrate or bake until the seafood is dried but still pliable and a bit chewy in the middle, about 7 hours for shrimp or 9 hours for scallops, depending on the seafood size and your dehydrator or oven. Let cool, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.