Directions

1. Rinse the scallops, put them in a heat-proof bowl and steam over simmering water for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Check the scallops to see if they're soft enough to break apart easily. When they're ready, put them in a zip-lock bag, seal it and pound the scallops with a meat mallet, until they're broken apart into thick shreds. This is easiest to do while the scallops are hot; they harden when cool. Remove and discard any hard bits.
2. Heat about 200ml of oil in a wok, add the shallots and stir to coat with the oil. Add in the scallops, garlic, shrimp, ham, fresh chillies and chilli flakes, as well as any optional ingredients you want to include. Stir in as much oil as needed to thickly coat the ingredients. Cook over a medium flame until the oil starts to sizzle, then lower the heat as much as possible so everything cooks at a bare simmer. Cook for several hours, stirring frequently.
3. When the XO sauce is ready, ladle it into alarge, sterilised, heat-proof jar. Pack it tightly into the jar, then add more oil so the ingredients are submerged. Store the jar in the fridge.