Since I own more cookbooks than any one person has the right to own (you know what I'm talking about...there's more of you out there), I often find that though I can describe the cover of many of them off the cuff (or at least the spine) - I haven't actually cooked from them enough. Or as much as I'd like to. All I have to say to my daughter is "can you go get me that green and white cookbook from the shelf...again..." and she knows I'm talking about this one.
The only thing I could really get out of my mouth after the first bite was
Kimchi Fried Rice (w/ Quick Kimchi)
by
Prep Time: 2 hours (mostly unattended)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Keywords: stir-fry entree breakfast side condiment cabbage rice Korean
Ingredients (serves 2-4)
- 1 cup Kimchi (recipe follows), coarsely chopped
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- sunflower oil (or vegetable, olive, etc.)
- 4 ounces Canadian bacon, cut into medium dice
- butter
- 2-4 eggs
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- handful fresh cilantro, rougly chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 head (approx. 1-1/2 pounds) Savoy Cabbage
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1-1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika (sweet or hot)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 medium-large red bell pepper, finely diced
- 4 medium scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 (4-inch) piece of ginger, peeled & finely grated (to equal 1 heaping tablespoon)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
Instructions
to make the Kimchi Fried Rice:
Stir together the rice, kimchi, and rice vinegar in a bowl and set aside.
Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat, and add the Canadian bacon; cook for a couple of minutes, while stirring to brown. If the pan seems dry, add a drizzle more oil, then add the reserved rice/kimchi mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until everything is heated through, and the rice starts to turn golden in spots.
Heat some butter in the bottom of a smaller non-stick skillet and fry up an egg or two per person.
To serve, divide the fried rice among serving plates and top with the eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter cilantro and scallions over each. Enjoy!
Cut the cabbage into quarters, through the core. Slice the core out of each quarter. Cut each quarter into large ribbons, about 1 to 1-1/2 inches wide. Toss the cabbage with the salt in a large nonreactive bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for 2 hours.
In the meantime, bring the vinegar, sugar, paprika, and cayenne to a boil in a small saucepan; stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and set aside.
Rinse and drain the cabbage, then press it dry as best as you can. Rinse out the large bowl you used for the cabbage and dry it. Place the cabbage back into it, and add the red bell pepper, scallions, ginger, garlic, and the reserved liquid mixture. Toss until everything is coated and combined well.
Pack the kimchi into a nonreactive (preferably glass) jar or bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Will keep in the fridge for about 1 week.
Alternately, you could whisk your eggs up in a bowl, and then cook them into fluffy scrambled eggs or an omelet (cut into strips once done). You could then fold them into the rice before serving.
I don't know if it's strange or not, but I like to eat this for breakfast. Not that I wouldn't eat it for any meal of the day, but to me, it seems like breakfast fare!
adapted from Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners
