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Kimchi Fried Rice
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Kimchi Fried Rice

Course Main Course
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Len Senater, The Depanneur Cookbook. 100 Recipes. 100 Cooks. Stories from Canada's Unlikeliest Restaurant

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp gochujang Korean red pepper paste
  • 2 tablespoons juice from a jar of kimchi
  • 1 tbsp mirin or 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 to 3 slices bacon cut crosswise into 1/4-inch/6 mm strips (optional)
  • 2 tbsp oil or butter or a combo omit if using bacon
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

Optional protein (if you didn’t use bacon):

  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped leftover
  • Korean beef or pork; ham or Spam popular in Korea!, cut into small cubes;
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) small dried shrimp
  • 4 shiitake mushrooms sliced (fresh or rehydrated dried)
  • 1 carrot cut into 1-inch/2.5 cm matchsticks
  • 1/2 bunch kale chard, or choi, tough stems removed and leaves chopped
  • 2 to 3 radishes finely diced
  • 1 cup (250 mL) kimchi squeezed, coarsely chopped
  • 4 cup (640 g) cold leftover rice
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

Fried Eggs:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp butter or 1/2 tsp neutral oil plus 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Garnishes:

  • 4 tbsp nori strips
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp white and/or black sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp gochujang stirred with 1 tsp water (optional)

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, kimchi juice, and mirin or sugar. Set aside. In a large wok, cast-iron, or other nonstick skillet, cook the bacon (if using) over medium heat until almost crisp and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. If not using bacon, in the wok or skillet, heat the oil or oil/butter mix.
  • To the bacon fat or oil/butter mix in the skillet, add the onion, garlic, ginger, and any other protein (if using) and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has become a bit translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the vegetables, kimchi, and kimchi juice/ gochujang mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables have softened and the sauce has evaporated a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the cold rice and break up clumps with a wooden spoon or spatula, tossing to coat. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and toss to coat. Keep cooking, stirring, and tossing until thoroughly mixed and piping hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to low and let sit to brown a bit while you fry the eggs sunny-side up in butter or a neutral/sesame oil mix.
  • When the eggs are ready, scrape up the rice, hopefully with a few little browned bits, and fill a medium soup bowl with one-quarter of the rice. Place a plate on top of the bowl and then invert to produce a dome of rice. Garnish with a fried egg, a nori strip, and some green onions and sesame seeds. If you like it spicier, drizzle with a bit of the diluted gochujang. Repeat for the remaining portions of rice.