Brothless Ramen with XO Sauce (XO Mazemen)

Brothless Ramen with XO Sauce is a highly flavorful noodle dish that is a mash up of Japanese Mezeman (mixed noodles) and a sauce created in Hong Kong that is a total umami bomb. 

Take some cooked ramen noodles and toss them with a mixture of XO sauce, oil or rendered fat, rice vinegar, and soy sauce and you have a magical mixture of noodles and sauce that is tasty, filling, and will introduce you to the spicy seafood condiment that was developed in the 1980s in Hong Kong. 

What is XO Sauce?

XO sauce is a relatively new condiment used by Hong Kong chefs. It is basically a flavor bomb made with dried fish such as scallops and shrimp, along with ham, shallots, garlic, and chilies. 

It is an expensive condiment, but a little goes a long way. It includes dried scallops and dried shrimp. You can make your own XO sauce if you have access to all of the ingredients, and there are wonderful recipes in books such as A Very Chinese Cookbook by Kevin Pang of America's Test Kitchen, and The Breath of a Wok by Grace Young. 

I used a jarred XO sauce that I found in a local Chinese grocery store. The bottle was super tiny, and definitely not cheap, but the sauce was a total flavor bomb. It's been referred to as the "caviar of the Orient."

Fortunately, a little goes a long way. 

The ingredients list includes Shallot, garlic, oil, chilies, dried shrimp and MSG. This one doesn't include the salty Jinhua ham that is sometimes on the ingredients list. 

XO sauce got it's name from a luxury cognac brand, although it doesn't contain any cognac. Basically, the name is a signal to why the condiment is so pricey. 

If you can't find XO sauce, you could probably substitute some chili crisp combined with a little fish sauce and oyster sauce. It won't be the same, but the noodles will still be satisfying. 

About Mazemen:

According to Serious Eats, mazeman (mixed noodles) evolved from a restaurant in Tokyo because it was a cost effective meal for the restaurant's staff. Evidently, the most expensive part of making ramen was the broth itself. 

Mazemen (or abura soba) consisted of noodles tossed in soy sauce and oil and typically topped with bamboo shoots, nori, and green onions. It also can be topped with pork or a softboiled egg. 

This version, with the flavor bomb that is XO sauce, is a fantastic noodle dish. You won't even miss the broth. Plus, the XO sauce is a delicious substitute for tare, ramen's dried fish flavor in the broth. 

Ingredients:

XO Sauce - You can usually find it in Asian (especially Chinese) grocery stores. You can also make your own, but you'll need dried shallots and dried shrimp. I'm intrigued, but I already have so many specialized ingredients I need to use up... 

Fat - You can use rendered fat such as pork fat or schmaltz, or even bacon drippings. You can also use oil, such as olive or peanut oil. I bet ghee or coconut oil would work too. I used extra virgin olive oil. 

Rice Vinegar. 

Soy Sauce - I used reduced sodium Kikkoman soy sauce (the one with the green label). 

Ramen Noodles - I actually used the instant noodles from a packet of Maruchan Instant Ramen, but tossed out the "flavor packet." I prepared it according to the package directions, drained them, and then tossed them in the mix of soy sauce, XO sauce, vinegar, and oil. 

If you have a Japanese market in the area, definitely check out the fresh noodles they might have. You could also substitute udon noodles or even spaghetti. 

For Toppings: I used blanched sugar snap peas, thinly sliced scallions, and a light sprinkling of crushed red peppers. 

You could also top these noodles with a soft boiled or fried egg, some bean or pea sprouts, or even some seasoned chopped pork. 

To Prepare these Noodles:

First, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Next, blanche the sugar snap peas in boiling water and then rinse them with cold water to stop them from cooking and set them aside. 

After that, prepare the noodles according to the package directions. In this case, because I used dried noodles, I cooked them in the already boiling water that I used for the sugar snaps. 

When the noodles are done, drain them through a sieve and then toss them in the prepared sauce until the sauce begins to look creamy and coats all of the noodles. 

Finally, top the noodles with the peas, scallion, and any other topping you like and serve. 

Note: 

This recipe is for one serving. It is best to only prepare one or two servings at a time because tossing the noodles for more than two servings at a time is pretty difficult. 

If you are serving a crowd, you can use the same bowl for mixing multiple times. 

The dish is best served warm or at room temperature. 

More Ramen Dishes:

Shio Ramen with Turkey Broth and Chicken Chashu - This one was a total project that took two days to make, and totally worth it. It's the perfect soup to make with your leftover turkey carcass from Thanksgiving. Plus, there are a lot more lessons about preparing ramen. 

Rotisserie Chicken Ramen - A much simpler version. 

"X" is for Xmas, Xavier, XO Sauce, Xoconostle, Xiaodianxin, Xacuti, Xylocarp, Xoi, and X's and O's. 

Eleven recipes with ingredients or names starting with X: 

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Brothless Ramen with XO Sauce 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Chicken Xacuti 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni:Mushroom Xacuti 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: X’s & O’s (Hugs & Kisses) Brown Sugar Cookies
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Xavier Soup 
• Blogghetti: Xiaodianxin Recipe 
• Food Lust People Love: Xmas Eggnog Fudge 
• Culinary Cam: Xoconostle Tartlets 
• Magical Ingredients: Xoconostle Xnipec Paratha 
• A Messy Kitchen: Xoi - Vietnamese Sticky Rice 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Xylocarp Cocktail 

I'm totally ready to learn more about these recipes and ingredients!

Brothless Ramen with XO Sauce (XO Mazemen)

Yield: 1

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Brothless Ramen with XO Sauce is a highly flavorful noodle dish that is a mash up of Japanese Mezeman (mixed noodles) and a sauce created in Hong Kong that is a total umami bomb.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons XO sauce
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 3 ounces dried ramen noodles or about 5 ounces fresh noodles
• 5 to 6 blanched sugar snap peas
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the XO sauce, oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Set aside.
2. Prepare the noodles according to the package directions and drain. Place the noodles in the bowl with the sauce and toss until the noodles are coated and the sauce is creamy looking.
3. Place the noodles in a bowl and top with the snow peas, scallions, and peppers.
4. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

510

Fat (grams)

41 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

10 g

Carbs (grams)

66 g

Fiber (grams)

3 g

Net carbs

63 g

Sugar (grams)

9 g

Protein (grams)

11 g

Cholesterol (grams)

0 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2024/11/brothless-ramen-with-xo-sauce-xo-mazemen.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

ramen, mazemen, XO Sauce

Dinner

Chinese, Japanese

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.