It’s been a bit, I’ll just jump back in…
In an effort to get more steps into my daily routine, I often take the long way home from work. As luck would have it this route brings me past a Whole Foods, a Marianos, and H Mart. A stop to walk the aisles of H Mart has been on my list since spotting this downtown location last summer. Originally a Queens Asian supermarket that opened in the 80’s. There are now locations across the country, including one not far from me that I have heard plenty about but never visited despite being open over 10 years.
You are invited in with an extensive produce section, leading to endless amounts of seafood. The aisles are filled with plenty of options of everything from baked goods to ramen to home goods. And of course plenty of Hello Kitty branded products (e.g. toilet paper). On my list was to get kimchi, short-grain rice, and rice seasoning. So many varieties of rice, and kimchi. I stood in front of the kimchi for ages, finally a women that worked there saved me from myself by handing me a container with her “buy this one” advice.
We have a few new cookbooks in the house, my husband got not one but two copies of Christopher Kimball’s cookbook Milk Street Tuesday Nights. Great book, a ton of approachable casual recipes. We’ve tried a few already Pork Schnitzel sandwiches (amazing!), glazed salmon, orecchiette with sausage. On the menu for this evening, kimchi and bacon fried rice. Perfect chilly Friday (or Tuesday, of course) night fare.
Assuming you have the rice made in advance, the recipe comes together in no time. We didn’t have the rice prepped, so luckily on an impulse I grabbed a package of frozen spring rolls. Baked in the oven, they were a delicious bite while we waited on the main course.
Back to the rice, the over easy egg is must. The yolk builds a rich sauce. I’d make a strong case for making this a breakfast dish. Or brunch, really whenever.
And the kimchi, that women’s recommendation was spot on. My guess is that it this was the least spicy of the bunch, though it was plenty spicy.
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups Japanese-style short-grain rice, cooked and chilled
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups cabbage kimchi, drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- In large skillet (or wok) cook the bacon over medium-high heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon on a paper towel. Keep 1 tablespoon in the pan, reserve the remaining fat.
- In the 1 tablespoon of bacon fat cook the onion until soft, about 5 mins.
- Add rice to the onion and cook about 2 mins.
- Add soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of bacon grease to the rice. Stir to combine and spread into an even layer. Turn heat to high and cook about 3 minutes to brown the bottom.
- Scrap the bottom of the pan and flip the rice, spread into even layer and brown the other side of the rice.
- Stir in kimchi, peas, sesame oil, and scallions to the rice. Cook while stirring about 2 mins. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and cover.
- Separately, cook eggs over-easy in 1 tablespoon bacon oil.
- Spoon rice into bowls, top with an egg and rice seasoning or scallions.
Yeah! A new post from you! That market looks fantastic! Now I want to go find one of our Asian markets! It looks super clean! I hope you got the Hello Kitty TP for every bathroom! This looks absolutely delicious and I love just about anything with a fried egg on it. Those spring rolls look delicious. Did you dip in fish sauce or duck sauce? I think I will have to give this one a try!
Trying to get back at it, on a small scale, this year. The market is SO clean! We dipped the spring rolls in garlic Chile sauce, yummy. This recipe is a must try!