Kimchi fried rice

Equipment

• Large frying pan or wok (28 cm), ideally non-stick or well seasoned
• Small non-stick frying pan for the eggs
• Wooden spatula
• Kitchen scissors for the kimchi and gim

Before you start

1. Break up the cold rice with your fingers so there are no clumps.
2. Chop the kimchi into 1 cm pieces with scissors and keep its juice.
3. Cut the pork belly into 1 cm pieces and dice the onion.
4. Slice the spring onions and cut the gim into strips.

Method

1. 1

   Render the pork

   80 g pork belly

   Put the pork belly in the cold large pan and set it over medium heat. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the fat has melted out and the pieces are browned.

   Done when The pork is golden at the edges and sits in a thin layer of clear, sizzling fat.

   Start 5 min timer
2. 2

   Fry the kimchi

   80 g onion200 g napa cabbage kimchi

   Add the onion and kimchi, raise the heat to medium-high and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes.

   Done when The kimchi turns darker and slightly translucent, the edges catch a little, and the sharp sour smell turns sweeter.

   Tip Sour, old kimchi works best here. Fresh kimchi tastes flat when cooked, so add a little more kimchi juice.

   Start 4 min timer
3. 3

   Add the seasoning

   1 tbsp gochujang1 tsp gochugaru1 tsp sugar3 tbsp kimchi juice1 tsp soy sauce

   Stir in the gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, kimchi juice and soy sauce and cook for 1 minute over medium heat.

   Done when The mixture is glossy brick-red and the gochujang no longer smells raw.

   Start 1 min timer
4. 4

   Fry the rice

   400 g cooked short-grain rice

   Add the rice, raise the heat to high and press and fold it into the kimchi for 3–4 minutes, until every grain is coloured.

   Done when The rice is evenly orange-red with no white patches, and the grains are separate, not mushy.

   Tip Freshly cooked rice turns gluey. If you only have fresh rice, spread it on a tray and chill it uncovered for 30 minutes first.

   Start 4 min timer
5. 5

   Crisp the bottom

   Press the rice flat with the spatula and leave it untouched over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then fold it once.

   Done when You hear a steady crackle and the underside comes up in browned, crunchy patches.

   Start 2 min timer
6. 6

   Finish with sesame oil

   1 tbsp toasted sesame oil2 spring onions

   Take the pan off the heat, drizzle over the sesame oil, add most of the spring onions and toss. Taste and add a little more kimchi juice if it needs salt or sourness.

   Done when The rice smells nutty and toasty and looks shiny.

   Tip Sesame oil goes in off the heat: high heat burns its aroma.
7. 7

   Fry the eggs

   1 tbsp neutral oil2 eggs

   Heat the neutral oil in the small pan over medium-high heat. Crack in the eggs and fry for 2–3 minutes, spooning a little hot oil over the whites.

   Done when The edges are brown and lacy, the whites are fully set, and the yolks still wobble.

   Start 3 min timer
8. 8

   Plate and top

   2 eggs1 tsp toasted sesame seeds1 gim (roasted seaweed sheet)

   Divide the rice between two bowls and set a fried egg on each. Scatter over the remaining spring onions, sesame seeds and gim.

   Done when The yolk runs into the rice as soon as you break it.

Common mistakes

Variations