Shaca (沙茶)
Shacha (沙茶) is like a cross of XO sauce and bagna cauda, deep flavor and umami rich! It’s a briny medley of dried seafood like salt-cured anchovies and shrimp, cooked down slowly with fried shallot. You can use it as a dipping sauce for hot pot traditionally or use it as a condiment to stir into noodles, fried rice, or sauté with vegetables.
Dried Scallops
2 oz (57 grams)
Dried Shrimp
1/2 oz (14 grams)
Neutral Oil
1 cup (215 grams)
Minced Garlic
1 1/2 tbsps (17 grams)
Peeled and Minced Ginger
1 1/2 tbsps (17 grams)
Minced Shallots
1 1/2 tbsps (17 grams)
Minced Salt or Oil-packed Anchovies
1/4 cup (50 grams)
Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tbsp (10 grams)
5 Spice
4 1/2 tsp (10 gms)
Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp ( 2 grams)
The Preparation
1. Cover the scallops and shrimp with warm water and soak for 30 minutes.
2. Drain, then tear each scallop into a few pieces.
3. Add the scallops and the shrimp to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 30 times until shredded and fluffy.
4. To do by hand, shred the scallops with your fingers, and mortar and pestle the shrimp until very finely chopped.
5. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or wok over medium heat until shimmering.
6. Add the garlic, ginger, and shallots and fry until starting to brown, about 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the scallops, shrimp, and anchovies, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil, 10 spice, and cayenne.
9. Once cool, refrigerate up to 6 months. Stir before using.
Suckling Pig by Brandon Jew
Suckling Pig
1 whole pig
$link
1/2 cup (Plus more for the blanching water)
Finely Ground White Pepper
3 tbsps
Sweet Potato Vinegar or Sherry Vinegar
1/3 cup
Brown Rice Syrup or Maple Syrup
1/2 cup
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 cup
Water
1/4 cup
The Preparation
1. Lay suckling pig on a cutting board skin side up. Flatten suckling pig out by pressing down with force on its shoulders and hips. Mix sea salt with white pepper and sprinkle evenly over the pig on both sides and let sit for 3 hours.
2. Bring a large pot big enough of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat.
3. Meanwhile, make the marinade by whisking the sweet potato vinegar, brown rice syrup, lemon juice, water in a small bowl until the salt and syrup are dissolved.
Blanch The Pig
1. Place in the boiling water just until the skin turns white, about 10 seconds.
2. Remove from the water and pat very dry with paper towels.
3. Place skin-side up back on the wire rack over the baking sheet.
4. Use a brush to apply the marinade on the skin and flesh of the pig.
5. Refrigerate the pig uncovered on the rack as well as the remaining marinade, brushing the skin with more marinade once a day, for 3 days.
To Cook
1. Place pig in the center of a preheated 200* oven. Cook for 1 hour and 30mins. Pull out and leave on the rack with the pig skin side up.
2. In a heavy bottom pot at least 8qts large, heat 4qts of sunflower oil to 375*. Gradually ladle hot oil over the pig ensuring you ladle the oil on each part of the pig. The skin should puff and blister and get crispy from this treatment.
3. Transfer to a cutting board and use a heavy weight cleaver to cut the pig in smaller parts.
4. Serve with wok salt and lemon wedges.