with Chef Robert Larios Photography by Patricia M. Larios
It’s time to break into Korean cuisine with one of the most popular dishes — kimchi fried rice. Kimchi is a spicy Korean condiment, a tangy, spicy fermented cabbage that is the heart of Korean cuisine; it is used in many dishes. It’s an awesome side for any meal, or as a meal of its own. The rice is best when it is cooked in advance and chilled, because the grains will stick less to the pan and each other.
Notice I included butter in the ingredients list. That’s not a typo. Although butter is not part of the traditional cuisine, it is becoming a staple of modern Korean cooking.
1tbspavocado oil (canola oil is a good substitute)
¼cupSpam (canned meat product), cut into small cubes
1green onion, sliced.
1cupkimchi, drained and chopped
1tbspgochujang (Korean fermented soybean chile paste), or to taste
3cupscooked short-grain rice
¼cupnori (seaweed), chopped into short slivers.
1tspsesame oil
1tspbutter
1egg
1
Step 1
Heat avocado oil in large skillet (a non-stick wok is ideal) over high heat. Stir Spam into skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir Spam and then add green onion until the Spam is browned and onion is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
2
Step 2
Stir kimchi and gochujang into Spam mixture and cook until warmed through and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Add rice; cook and stir until rice is heated through and coated with gochujang, 3 to 5 minutes more.
3
Step 3
Drizzle sesame oil over rice mixture and stir to coat. Garnish with green parts of green onion and nori.
Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Crack egg into the pan and cook until white is completely set and yolk is thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Place egg over fried rice.
4
Enjoy!
Ingredients
1tbspavocado oil (canola oil is a good substitute)
¼cupSpam (canned meat product), cut into small cubes
1green onion, sliced.
1cupkimchi, drained and chopped
1tbspgochujang (Korean fermented soybean chile paste), or to taste
3cupscooked short-grain rice
¼cupnori (seaweed), chopped into short slivers.
1tspsesame oil
1tspbutter
1egg
Directions
1
Step 1
Heat avocado oil in large skillet (a non-stick wok is ideal) over high heat. Stir Spam into skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir Spam and then add green onion until the Spam is browned and onion is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
2
Step 2
Stir kimchi and gochujang into Spam mixture and cook until warmed through and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Add rice; cook and stir until rice is heated through and coated with gochujang, 3 to 5 minutes more.
3
Step 3
Drizzle sesame oil over rice mixture and stir to coat. Garnish with green parts of green onion and nori.
Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Crack egg into the pan and cook until white is completely set and yolk is thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Place egg over fried rice.
If you don’t have access avocado oil, canola oil is a good alternative. I used Spam in
this recipe, but shrimp, chicken and beef can be used. Or you may decide to
eliminate them all in your version.
Food Quote: “I’m really happy to see the explosion of interest in Korean food, and this hybrid Korean-American food.”
