Kim Chi Fried Rice

Copyright 2007 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Kim Chi or Kim Chee, diced finely
6 oz. ground beef or veal
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 to 3 cups day-old rice
1 egg
2 stalks green onion or spring onion, chopped
1 T sesame oil
1 T soy sauce
1 T Xiao Shing cooking wine or sherry
2 T Canola oil
salt and pepper

Marinate meat in sesame oil, soy sauce, Xiao Shing wine and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside for about 10 minutes.

In a wok or large skillet, warm oil over high heat and then add ground meat and stir-fry to brown all the pieces. (Use your spatula to break the meat into small chunks if needed.) Add frozen peas and cook for another minute. If you have a lot of excess oil or moisture from the meat and peas, pour it out before continuing.

Add rice, breaking up clumps with your hands if needed. Season again with salt and pepper and even a dash of soy sauce if you like it saltier. Add kim chee and green onion and mix all the ingredients. Then add egg (scramble first in a small dish) and quickly stir-fry. Plate and garnish with more kim chee and green onion.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Pair with a glass of Gewurztraminer.

TIP: The egg can be a tricky stir-frying challenge in fried rice. When you add it at the end like I stated above, it can be more of a glazy mess. If you don't like your egg on the wet side, then scramble your egg in a separate pan beforehand and then add to your fried rice near the end. This way your fried rice is more on the dry and fluffy side.

KIM CHEE: This Korean staple can now be found at most refrigerated Asian section of grocery stores, at least in major cities. If not, you may be able to find them at a Korean supermarket or Asian grocery store. They're typically sold in jars.