Fried rice is my go-to quick comfort food. It's endlessly customizable and always hits the spot. All you need is leftover rice, a handful of literally any veggies, a type of meat, egg, and soy sauce. This version with kimchi and Chinese sausage is one of my favorites. This particular recipe will serve two people, but you can very easily double it.
There is always rice in my house. Rice was the base of every home-cooked meal when I was growing up. I would say half of the dishes I cook today are eaten with rice. I'm Filipino--ulam and kanin 'til I die!!! And the best part about always having rice in the house? I can make fried rice on a whim. And I do. Often. It's the easiest, most delicious way to serve a quick meal. Bonus--only one pan to clean!
Three notes before starting: (1) Use 1 to 2 day old cooked rice. Do NOT use fresh-cooked rice. It's too sticky and moist to fry, and it will turn into mushy lumps. (2) Mise en place is very important for fried rice. You'll need to work quickly, so prep all of your ingredients before frying. (3) This recipe is just a base/suggestion. Add whatever you want! Mushrooms, kale, spam, frozen carrots--they're all good.
Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked day old rice
2 eggs, sunny-side up and runny
4 Chinese sausages, sliced (cubed spam or chopped bacon is also delicious!)
1/2 cup cabbage kimchi, roughly chopped
1/4 cup kimchi juices
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup scallions, white and green parts, chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly minced
3 tablespoons neutral oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 teaspoons soy sauce (plus more to taste)
Sriracha or sambal oelek for serving, to taste
Instructions:
Chop, measure, and organize your damn ingredients! You should do this with all meals, but it's especially important for fried rice.
Heat the neutral oil in a wok or large saucepan on high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the onion and garlic and stir for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
Add in the chopped kimchi and Chinese sausage and continue to sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Fat should start to render from the sausage.
Add the rice, peas, kimchi juice, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Break up chunks of rice with a wooden spoon and keep stirring so everything is evenly incorporated and super hot. Continue stirring on high heat for 3-4 more minutes. Add scallions last. Mix!
Taste, taste, taste! Add more soy sauce if desired.
Serve with a runny sunny-side up egg* and your fave hot sauce. <3
*Some people prefer pieces of scrambled egg in their fried rice. And that's fine. But they're wrong, and I hate them. Just kidding! ... mostly. Anyway, if you prefer scrambled egg, cook that first and break it up in pieces and it to your mise en place arrangement. Add the scrambled egg back in when you add the scallions.