Well, I feel mildly silly about putting up a recipe for fried rice since it's really the kind of dish where you use what you've got! It's the perfect vehicle for rejuvenating leftovers, but it's also great for those days when you are out of everything but the staples, and feeling too lazy to go out and restock (I mean, not that that's ever happened to me, no sirree.) But Py asked for a guide specifically for ginger fried rice, and so I deliver (and anyway, it makes me happy someone is benefitting from this blog besides me!) So. Onwards!
Okay, so this is a fried rice dish that I actually make when I'm feeling a little bit under the weather, because although my usual fried rice recipe contains a bit of ginger, this one contains a LOT of ginger. There is some hoo-hah about ginger being good for you because it expels excess wind or something, but I don't generally believe in that kind of stuff, and so can't remember the exact details. (And what is excess wind, anyway? When you're feeling gassy?) Just make this because it's delicious! You can vary the ratio depending on your tolerance (or love, in my case) for spicy ginger, but I generally go with roughly one portion rice to 1/2 portion finely chopped ginger, and 1/2 portion finely chopped shallots. If I'm really feeling gingery, I'll use equal amounts. For one person, you'll also need an egg, and this time, for color, I added some chopped asparagus to replace the green onion I would normally use. If you are feeling extra decadent, you can also use some finely chopped bacon or even better, waxed meat.
So, the technique: First step, heat oil in a large pan (if you are using bacon, put that in first, and let the fat render out. You may not need oil, depending on how fatty the bacon is). Second step, add your finely chopped ginger and shallots, and stir, stir, stir! Fry until everything smells awesomely fragrant. Third step, add your asparagus (or other vegetable, if you'd like), and stir-fry until the veggies are just tender. Push everything to the side, pour in your egg, and scramble until almost set. Dump in your rice (which is hopefully cooked and leftover! Freshly cooked rice is too soft.); this is a good time to add a bit of salt and a drizzle of sesame oil. Toss everything (this is why you need the large pan) until it's all combined and the rice is heated through; I like to let the rice sit on the hot pan for an extra minute or two to develop a little bit of a crust. Serve! Enjoy the intense gingeryness!
I will also just note that this recipe cooks very quickly, so you should have all of your ingredients prepared and ready before you start. I mean, honestly--it took me less time to cook this than it took to type this whole damned thing out.
It's been a nice weekend! I went to see Prometheus with a friend. Can I just point out how crazy it is to go see a movie in NYC? We (or I should say, she) showed up an hour early to get in line. A whole hour! Why they can't just sell reserved seats is beyond me. Anyway, the movie was pretty good (not as good as Alien or Aliens) and Michael Fassbender was terrific. Afterwards, we wandered around for a while, trying to find a bar to watch the Germany vs. Portugal game in--Germany won, yay! And then we went to Lincoln Center for their art fair, for a bit, and found this awesome Space Panda that she kindly bought me for my birthday. I love it. It's a panda in a helmet! Awesome. We chatted with the artist, John Ha for a bit, and I hope I have talked him into making some art with horses in it.
Okay well, I've got to go keep an eye on this experimental almond bread I've got in the oven, so I guess I will stop babbling now and leave you with this shot of Lincoln Center at dusk. (Hey, 3 posts so far for June, not too bad, huh?)
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