Sheet-Pan Salmon and Eggplant With XO Sauce
XO sauce, a prized seafood condiment from Hong Kong, involves frying pricey dried shrimp and scallops with Chinese cured ham and aromatics until jammy and full of umami. This pantry-friendly version uses smoked mussels to replicate the seafood flavor without breaking the bank. The rich, sweet-salty sauce balances fatty salmon and silky eggplant, but the savory condiment has endless uses: Dollop it on scrambled eggs, fried rice, roasted veggies or noodles. Extra sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for one month.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1(4-ounce) can smoked mussels
- 1 ½pounds Japanese eggplant (5 to 6 medium), trimmed, halved lengthwise and then crosswise
- ¾cup safflower or canola oil
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 1shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 1tablespoon minced garlic
- 1tablespoon minced peeled ginger
- 1ounce sliced prosciutto (about 2 slices), finely chopped
- 1tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1green Thai chile, seeded and minced
- 1tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1teaspoon fish sauce
- 4(6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
- Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
- Steamed rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Drain the mussels and reserve the liquid. (You should have about 2 tablespoons of liquid.) Finely chop half of the mussels, reserving the rest for another future use. Set aside chopped mussels and liquid.Step 2
Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine eggplant and 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat, arrange skin side down and roast until tender, 15 minutes.Step 3
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup oil and the shallot over medium; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened, 3 minutes.Step 4
Add garlic and ginger to the shallot oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until just light golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring, until well combined, 1 minute. Add Shaoxing wine and cook for 1 minute.Step 5
Stir in chopped mussels and reserved mussel liquid, sugar, chile, soy sauce, oyster sauce and fish sauce, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. You should have about 1 cup of sauce.Step 6
Spread 1/4 cup of the XO sauce on top of the eggplant and move to one side of the baking sheet. Rub salmon with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt. Arrange salmon next to eggplant, skin side down, and roast until it’s cooked through and the eggplant is golden, about 10 minutes longer.Step 7
Divide salmon and eggplant among plates. Spoon some XO sauce over salmon, garnish with scallions and serve alongside steamed rice, if you like.