Broccoli & Egg Fried Rice

I am taking a break from bombarding everyone with sourdough recipes. I still have quite a few tasty ones to share! 😉

This vegetarian fried rice dish was fast, easy, crowd-pleasing comfort food. Making it in a large cast iron skillet was the perfect vessel to create just the right amount of crispy rice and caramelized vegetables. According to the original recipe, another secret to getting color on the rice was the inclusion of sugar.

The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Kat Boytsova. I modified the proportions and substituted Basmati rice for sushi rice. It is a wonderful base recipe to incorporate any vegetables and/or protein with leftover rice in the fridge.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• 5 cups of broccoli florets and stems (pieces should be of similar size)
• 1 large bunch scallions (I used 7)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 T granulated sugar
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 4 large garlic cloves, grated
• 6-7 T vegetable oil, divided
• 4-5 cups cooked, day-old sushi rice (I used leftover brown and white Basmati rice)
• 4 T toasted sesame oil
• 3 T unseasoned rice vinegar

This fried rice comes together really quickly, so it’s important that all of your ingredients are prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.

To Prep:

1. Place broccoli to a medium bowl.
2. Trim scallions on both ends, then cut crosswise into 1″ pieces. Transfer to bowl with broccoli.
3. Whisk eggs in another medium bowl to combine and season with 3/4 teaspoons of salt.
4. Whisk sugar, soy sauce, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt in a small bowl.
5. Grate the ginger and garlic cloves into the bowl of sauce and give it another whisk.

To Cook:

1. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet (or non-stick if you don’t have one)over medium-high until just beginning to smoke. (I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet.)
2. Add broccoli and scallions, season with a good pinch of salt, and toss with a spatula to coat in oil. Cook, undisturbed, until well charred on one side, about 5 minutes. When we say “undisturbed,” we mean it! You need consistent, direct contact with the hot pan in order to get color on the veggies, so resist the urge to constantly fuss with them.
3. Mix with spatula and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until broccoli is crisp-tender and scallions are wilted, about 2 more minutes. Transfer veggies back to the bowl they came from.
4. Heat remaining 5 tablespoons vegetable oil in skillet over medium-low.
5. Add eggs and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until large curds begin to form, about 30 seconds. The eggs will cook very quickly, so try to err on the side of runny and less-cooked because they can become spongy if overcooked.
6. Add the rice and soy sauce mixture to eggs. Toss well to combine, then press down evenly into skillet. Cook, undisturbed, until rice is slightly crisped on one side, about 5 minutes. (Remember: undisturbed!)
7. Return veggies to skillet and toss well to combine.
8. Remove from heat, add sesame oil and rice vinegar, and toss once more. Serve.

Fried Rice with Kimchi, Bacon & Cabbage

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I am planning on serving shepherd’s pie tonight, but, for those of you serving corned beef and cabbage, this quick dish will put any leftover cabbage to good use. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. We ate it drizzled with sriracha and additional soy sauce. I also served the leftovers with scrambled eggs instead of fried.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 5 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower, plus more as needed (I used canola oil)
• 3 slices thick-cut bacon, in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small bunch scallions, whites and greens separated, sliced
• 4 cups shredded cabbage (from about 1/2 small head)
• coarse salt
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups cooked rice, white or brown, preferably day-old
• 2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce, plus more as needed
• ½ tablespoon soy sauce, plus more as needed for serving
• ½ cup kimchi, drained and chopped, plus more for serving
• ½ cup green peas (thawed, if frozen)
• fried eggs or scrambled eggs, for serving, optional
• toasted sesame oil, for drizzling, optional
• sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving, optional

1. One day ahead, cook 2 cups of rice in 4 cups of water or stock. Once cool, store in the refrigerator overnight. (I used brown Basmati rice.)
2. In a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons oil until almost smoking. (I used a large 14-inch stainless steel skillet but a nonstick would have been preferable.)
3. Stir in bacon, and cook, stirring constantly, until bacon is golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, leaving as much oil in the skillet as you can.
4. Add scallion whites to the pan. Cook until soft, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes. If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little more oil, then stir in cabbage and a pinch of salt. Cook, continuing to stir frequently, until cabbage is soft, 2 to 4 minutes.
5. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bacon.
6. Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and raise heat to high.
7. Add rice, and a large pinch of salt, then toss thoroughly to coat with oil. Spread out rice in an even layer along the bottom (and sides if in a wok), and drizzle fish sauce and soy sauce over. Let rice sit until sizzling stops and it starts to crackle and crisp, 1 to 4 minutes. Toss, taste, and add more fish sauce or soy sauce if necessary.
8. Fold in bacon mixture, kimchi and peas, then transfer to plates.
9. Top with scallion greens, more kimchi to taste, and fried eggs, if using. (I served it with one fried egg per person.)
10. Drizzle everything with toasted sesame oil and soy sauce, as desired, and serve immediately with hot sauce on the side.

Shrimp & Egg Fried Rice

This is a quick and tasty comfort food dish. It is from a century-old dim sum restaurant in New York City. I think we’re going to have to dine there soon! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, adapted from Jonathan Wu of Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York, contributed by Wilson Tang. I increased the amount of shrimp to convert this side dish into a main dish. Perfect.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
 (I used white Basmati rice)
• coarse salt
• 7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
 (I used canola oil)
• 24 raw medium (21-25 count per pound) shrimp (1 pound), peeled, deveined, and cut into thirds
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 4 tablespoons light soy sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/4 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice and a generous pinch of salt, and return to a boil. Stir once; cover and simmer over low heat until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, and let steam for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and spread on a large baking sheet to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. In a very large skillet or wok (I used a 14-inch skillet), heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering.
4. Add the shrimp, and stir-fry over moderately high heat until nearly cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
5. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the eggs, and stir-fry over moderately high heat until small curds form and the eggs are nearly cooked, about 2 minutes.
6. Add the rice, sugar, pepper, and a generous pinch of salt, and stir-fry until the rice is hot, about 3 minutes.
7. Add the shrimp, peas, and soy sauce, and stir-fry until the shrimp are cooked through and the peas are hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.

One Year Ago:

• Baked Rice with Chicken & Mushrooms
• Baked Spinach Rice

Two Years Ago:

• Oat Bran Bread

Four Years Ago:

• Jose Garces’ One-Pot Arroz con Pollo

Five Years Ago:

• Jambalaya
• Pork Chops with Apples & Cider