Fried Rice

Darren and I make fried rice pretty often - at least every other week. We have come up with a recipe that we both really like, and we both make. It's only gotten better since the Wongs gave us a wok as a wedding present. Thanks, Wong family!

And the presentation has gotten prettier since the Nichols gave us a beautiful platter with giant chopsticks (hashi)!

Thanks, Michelle and Dave!

For the fried rice, you will need:
2 c. uncooked rice (short grain)
4-6 strips thick cut bacon
1-2 c. chicken (I cheated this time and used rotisserie chicken from the store)
2-6 carrots, depending on size
8-12 mushrooms, depending on size
4 eggs
salt & pepper
soy sauce
sriracha
sesame oil

Cook up the rice according to package directions. I use a rice cooker. I had never had one until I started dating Darren. He gave me one for Christmas a few years ago. Now I don't know how I ever lived without it! Thanks, Darren! <3 Also, I like to cook the rice a little in advance, maybe a couple of hours before I plan to make the rice, but I've even done it a few days in advance.

I like to do all of my chopping and cutting before I start so that I can make the dish without stopping. Peel the carrots, and slice them into 1/4 in. pieces. Then set them aside.

Slice the mushrooms, and set those aside, too.

Cut the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and set them aside. Sometimes I use raw chicken, and sometimes leftovers. When I use raw chicken, and I remember to plan ahead, I cut the chicken into thin strips and marinate them in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, and rice vinegar, similar to a bulkogi marinade. Maybe we'll post up that recipe next time we cook it.

Crack the eggs in a bowl and scramble them. You can season them with a little pepper, if you'd like. I would do it.

Cook the bacon in the wok over medium-high heat until browned and beginning to get crispy. Stir the bacon frequently, almost constantly. The higher the heat, the more you'll need to keep it moving.

Remove the bacon from the pan and leave behind the delicious, golden fat. Use the rendered bacon fat to cook the chicken.

Remove the chicken from the wok, and set it aside with the bacon. Add the vegetables to the wok and cook until the mushrooms are beginning to brown. Season the vegetables with a nice pinch of salt (I use kosher salt) and a generous amount of black pepper.

Remove those from the pan and set them aside. Now we're ready for the rice. Add the rice to the pan and cook it until it loses some of its stickiness.

Season the rice with a nice snail of sriracha. Remember that this stuff is pretty hot, but oh so good!

Mix in the sriracha, and then sprinkle with black pepper. I think I use 10-15 grinds from the pepper mill.

Then add some soy sauce, probably a couple of tablespoons. Shake some into the rice. I suggest adding a little at a time and tasting it. Also add a little drizzle of sesame oil, probably about a teaspoonful.

Stir the rice around and evenly mix the sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper. Once the rice grains start to brown, remove the rice from the wok and set it aside. We're moving on to the eggs. Add the eggs to the wok and scramble, scramble, scramble. We don't like scabs on our eggs around here.

Now we can combine everything together and give it a taste. If you think it needs more of something, add it in and stir it around.

Once the rice is well mixed and everything is hot, move it to a beautiful serving platter, grab some chopsticks, and eat up!

Notes: Darren's Bachan says that pork fat is the secret to delicious Japanese fried rice. I, for one, believe her. After all, she is Japanese, and a really good cook! Also, I don't think hot sauce is completely necessary, if you like things mild, just leave it out. Finally, thanks again to the Wongs and the Nichols for the wedding gifts. As you can see, we are really enjoying them!

Go make yourself some fried rice!