Fried rice is meant to be a hallmark of kitchen
efficiency, yet most recipes and tutorials call for day-old rice (the grains are
drier and firmer than freshly cooked rice and will absorb flavor without
clumping and sogging).And a dinner that requires advanced leftover coordination is a dinner that will rarely—or never—happen in my kitchen.
When Mark Bittman wrote about Jean-Georges
Vongerichten’s technique for fried rice in the New York
Times in 2010, he told us to warm the cooked rice, just until heated
through, over medium heat—not a searing wok-fry—and new fried rice opportunities
opened up. You can get away with using freshly cooked rice, because Vongerichten
has you first crisp up ginger and garlic in your oil until they’re so bronzed
and crackly you’ll think they’re burnt. You’ll fish them out and save them to
sprinkle on at the end. This texture is a revelation and takes the pressure off
the rice to be perfectly aired out, flaky, and crisp. Those brown bits are all
the resistance you need.
Of course, you don’t want steamy rice porridge
either, but there are some cheats listed at the end of the recipe. You can apply
these lazy hacks to any fried rice you want to make right this second, but
they’re especially suited to this recipe, a marvel of textures and flavors.
Here, a little softness is welcome.
Serves 4
½ cup (120ml) peanut oil (if
you’re Mark Bittman) or rendered chicken fat (if you’re Jean-Georges
Vongerichten)
2 tablespoons minced
garlic
2 tablespoons minced
ginger
Salt
2 cups (180g) rinsed and dried
thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 cups (630g) cooked rice,
preferably jasmine, at room temperature
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons light or toasted
sesame oil
4 teaspoons soy
sauce
1 In a large skillet, heat ¼ cup (60ml) of the peanut
oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally,
until crisp and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper
towels and salt lightly. Alternatively, you can pour the oil into a heatproof
bowl through a fine-mesh strainer, then return the flavorful oil to the pan,
reserving the ginger and garlic bits.
2 Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low and
add 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil and the leeks. Cook for about 10 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until very tender but not browned. Season lightly with
salt.
3 Raise the heat to medium and add the rice. Cook,
stirring often, until heated through. Season to taste with salt.
4 In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, fry the eggs
in the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil, sunny-side-up, until the white is set
but yolk is still runny.
5 Divide the rice among four dishes. Top each with an
egg and drizzle with ½ teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Sprinkle
crisped garlic and ginger over everything and serve.
NOTE: Here are some tips if you’re cooking the rice
fresh, to make sure it isn’t too soggy: When the cooking time is done, leave the
rice undisturbed in the pot (uncovered) for 5 minutes, then spread the rice on a
tray (or two) to dry out. While you prep the rest of the ingredients, put the
rice by an open window or a fan, or pop the tray in the fridge or freezer if you
have room.
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