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Fresh Fish with XO Sauce by Iron Chef Morimoto: Holland America Signature Recipe

By: Author Raymond Cua

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If you’re craving a culinary voyage that blends elegance, flavor, and world-class expertise, this Fish with XO Sauce recipe was crafted exclusively for Holland America Line guests by none other than Iron Chef Morimoto, the legendary master of modern Japanese cuisine.

Whether you’re cruising the high seas or recreating the experience at home, this recipe brings the luxury of Holland America dining straight to your plate.

Dive into the step-by-step guide below and discover how to prepare fresh fish with xo sauce like a true Iron Chef, with sizzling aromatics, vibrant vegetables, and Chef Morimoto’s XO sauce (recipe included as well) that elevates every bite.

Planning for your cruise? I shared Holland America tips and tricks, or grab my downloadable Holland America Cruise Control Kit (with a printable 5-Phase Action Checklist and an expanded Insider’s Guide with exclusive tips).

Watch the Holland America travel vlog with behind-the-scenes Fresh Grouper XO Cooking Demonstration Recipe in the kitchen on YouTube (with chapters) here or embedded below:

I Ate at Every Restaurant on Holland America Cruise: Specialty Food Tour, Review & Recipe!
Holland America Line Fish XO Recipe by Iron Chef Morimoto on Travelling Foodie

Iron Chef Morimoto’s Halibut XO

On my Western Caribbean Cruise, aside from trying all the Holland American specialty dining restaurants, I was so excited to try the Fresh Halibut XO because it was featured on Bravo’s Top Chef, on the June 12, 2024 episode, filmed on the Holland America Eurodam cruise ship.

As a Holland America foodie tip, you can find exclusive Chef Morimoto dishes at the Main Dining Room that aren’t offered elsewhere, including Morimoto by Sea,

At the Main Dining Room, what they offered was Fresh Grouper XO which is still the exact same recipe but with a different fish depending on what’s freshly available onboard in support of Holland America’s Global Fresh Fish Program.

The steamed grouper is flaky and tender, absorbing the rich umami flavors of the XO scallop sauce.

This sauce, a delightful mix of dried scallop, dried shrimp, soy sauce, scallion, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, creates a mild yet complex spice that elevates the dish.

It’s an umami explosion that goes so well with the fragrant Jasmine rice and fresh Asian vegetables. And this is the Asian dish I’m sharing a recipe of so you can make it at home to try and enjoy!

Iron Chef Morimoto's Grouper XO at Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Main Dining Room
FRESH GROUPER XO – steam grouper, XO scallop sauce, Asian vegetables

How to Make Holland America Line’s Fresh Grouper XO by Iron Chef Morimoto

I love sharing recipes from my travels like these ones from Toronto and India. This is my first time sharing one from a cruise line.

In the exclusive behind the scenes cooking demonstration video, Sous Chef Jacob Jeejo prepared Iron Chef Morimoto’s Fresh Grouper XO, made exclusively for Holland America. Here’s a quick overview from the video. The full detailed recipe is in the next section.

What Ingredients You Need For Fresh Grouper in XO Sauce

  • Fresh grouper
  • Morimoto XO sauce (dried scallop, dried shrimp, soy sauce, scallion, oyster sauce, sesame oil)
  • Olive oil
  • Sake
  • Asian vegetables (bok choy, Brussels sprouts, carrots, shimeji mushrooms)
  • Togarashi (dry chili)
  • Ginger and garlic for garnish
  • Steamed jasmine rice
Iron Chef Morimoto Fresh Fish XO Recipe Ingredients
Ingredients

Fresh Grouper XO General Instructions

  1. Prepare the Grouper:
    • Place olive oil on the bottom of a tray.
    • Add the fresh grouper and top it with XO sauce.
    • Drizzle some sake over the fish.
    • Cook in the oven for 6 minutes.
  2. Cook the Vegetables:
    • Blanch bok choy and Brussels sprouts quickly.
    • Sauté garlic in olive oil, then add shimeji mushrooms, carrots, and bok choy.
    • Lightly season with fish sauce.
  3. Prepare Garnish:
    • Sauté ginger for garnish.
  4. Plate the Dish:
    • Place bok choy at the bottom of the plate.
    • Add the cooked grouper on top.
    • Drizzle with oil from the fish and top with sautéed ginger and scallion.
    • Sprinkle togarashi for a touch of heat.
    • Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Sous Chef Jacob Jeejo preparing Fish in XO sauce at Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam
Fish in XO sauce recipe by Iron Chef Morimoto at Holland America
Sous Chef Jacob Jeejo presenting Grouper XO by Iron Chef Morimoto
Grouper XO with Jasmine Rice at Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam galley

Holland America Fresh Fish XO Recipe

Thanks to Holland America for providing the Fresh Fish XO Recipe so I can share with my readers.

Be sure to bookmark/save/pin this post so you know how to make fish with XO sauce when you’re craving an Asian seafood dish.

I would love to see how this recipe worked for you! Please share your creations with me on social media and tag me so I can check them out: @TravellingFoodie on Instagram & Facebook and @TravellinFoodie on Twitter.

Grouper in XO Sauce recpie by Iron Chef Morimoto at Holland America

Fish with XO Sauce by Iron Chef Morimoto

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Made with the freshest ingredients and his signature touch, experience the essence of the sea with this exclusive Fresh Fish XO dish crafted by Holland America Line's Fresh Fish Ambassador, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.

5.0 Stars (16 Reviews)

Ingredients

Fish XO

  • 720 grams White Fish Fletches, Skinless Flash Frozen (4 x 180g)
  • 60 grams Morimoto XO Sauce (ingredients below)
  • 18 ml Morimoto Fish Soy Sauce (ingredients below)
  • 20 ml Junmai Sake (cooking sake)
  • 30 grams Spring Onion, julienne
  • 2 grams Ginger Root, julienne
  • 45 ml Olive Oil
  • 50 grams Baby Bok Choy
  • 30 grams Baby Carrots, tops on
  • 20 grams Shimeji Mushrooms
  • 10 grams Green Asparagus, 8-12 mm diameter
  • 5 grams Garlic, peeled
  • 30 grams Fresh Cilantro (sprig for garnish)
  • 0.20 grams Itokiri Togarashi/Chili Threads (garnish)
  • Maldon Sea Salt as needed

Morimoto XO Sauce

  • 200 grams Spring Onion, white part only
  • 60 grams Oyster Sauce
  • 60 ml Soy Sauce (Lite Low Sodium)
  • 20 grams White Granulated Sugar
  • 10 ml Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 160 grams Lee Kum Kee XO, Extra Hot

Morimoto Fish Soy Sauce

  • 60 ml Patis Fish Sauce
  • 40 ml Soy Lite Low Sodium
  • 20 ml Mirin Cooking Wine
  • 10 ml Soy Sauce Superior Dark

Instructions

Morimoto XO Sauce

  1. Sweat scallion whites: Cut only the white parts of the scallions and sweat them in oil until soft, without browning.
  2. Drain XO sauce: Remove any excess oil from the XO sauce.
  3. Combine ingredients: Mix the cooked scallions and XO sauce with all remaining ingredients and allow the mixture to cool down.
  4. Store properly: Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate. It can be stored for up to seven days.

Morimoto Fish Soy Sauce

  1. Combine ingredients: Mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly.
  2. Transfer to bottle: Pour the mixture into a squeeze bottle.
  3. Store and refrigerate: Refrigerate the squeeze bottle for up to seven days.

Fish XO

  1. (If using Flash Frozen Fresh Fish) Thaw the Fish: Thaw flash-frozen fish in the refrigerator two days in advance to prevent moisture loss.
  2. Salt the Fish: Place the fish on a sheet pan, sprinkle generously with Maldon sea salt, and let it sit for 20 minutes (do not exceed 20 minutes to avoid curing).
  3. Rinse and Refrigerate: After 20 minutes, rinse off the salt, pat the fish dry, and refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. Prepare Fish and Steam Oven (see notes for stovetop instructions): Clean the fish. Preheat the oven with the steam setting if available. Coat a baking tray or pan with oil to prevent sticking.
  5. Season and Steam Fish: Place the fish on the oiled tray, drizzle with sake, spread XO sauce on top, and steam for 2-3 minutes without overcooking.
  6. Heat Oil: Heat vegetable oil until it is almost smoking.
  7. Add Toppings to Fish: Remove the cooked fish from the steamer. Place julienned ginger and thinly sliced spring onions (scallions trimmed to pencil size) on top. Drizzle with fish sauce.
  8. Pour Hot Oil Over Fish: Carefully ladle the hot oil over the fish and scallions.
  9. Prepare Vegetables: Halve baby carrots and baby bok choy lengthwise, then blanch them.
  10. Sauté Vegetables: Heat a pan, sauté garlic until fragrant, then add mushrooms, baby carrots, asparagus, and baby bok choy. Add some sake and season with salt and pepper.
  11. Assemble the Dish: Place the sautéed vegetables on the bottom of the plate, add the fish on top, pour some of the sauce from the tray over the dish, and garnish with a sprig of cilantro and itokiri togarashi.

Notes

  • This recipe was provided by Holland America Line.
  • You can use White Fish like Grouper or Halibut. Halibut XO was the one featured in Bravo's Top Chef. Grouper XO is the one I had during the cruise that was shown in my video with the cooking demonstration.
  • Serve with Jasmine rice.
  • Alternate steaming option: If your oven has no steam setting, here's how to steam the fish on the stove.

    On a wok or large pot on the stove, fill with 1 inch of water and set over medium heat. Place fishes on a heatproof plate or bamboo steamer that's smaller than the wok/pot. When the water comes to a boil, set the plate, close the lid tightly on top and steam for 7-10 minutes until it's opaque and flakey. The best way is using a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the fish is 135F.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 557Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 3454mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 50g

Please note that nutrition information you see is provided and automatically calculated by Nutritionix. This may vary depending on the specific ingredients that you use. To ensure the most accurate information, I suggest entering your specific ingredients into a nutrition calculator.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Raymond Cua
Cuisine: Chinese / Category: China

Planning for your Holland America cruise? I shared a list of tips and tricks, or grab my downloadable Holland America Cruise Control Kit (with a printable 5-Phase Action Checklist and an expanded Insider’s Guide with exclusive tips).

Travelling Foodie Raymond Cua holding a plate of Fish in XO Sauce at Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam MDR
“Cruise with Holland America” at home by making Iron Chef Morimoto’s Fresh Fish with XO Sauce!

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