Stir-Fried Udon with XO Sauce

XO Sauce Stir-Fried Udon is a luxurious fusion dish that has found a permanent home on modern Chinese restaurant menus. Thick, chewy Japanese udon noodles are the ideal vehicle for the intensely flavored XO sauce — a premium condiment made from dried scallops, dried shrimp, Jinhua ham, chili peppers, garlic, and shallots, slow-cooked in oil until rich and deeply savory. The noodles are stir-fried over very high heat with a combination of ingredients such as shrimp, squid, bean sprouts, scallions, and Chinese chives, all tossed together with the XO sauce until everything is evenly coated and slightly charred. The result is a dish with extraordinary depth — the brininess of the seafood, the smokiness from the wok, the umami richness of the XO sauce, and the chewy satisfaction of the udon noodles all come together in perfect harmony. A squeeze of lime and a scattering of crispy shallots finish the dish beautifully.