Crispy Ginger Rice with Leeks, Shiitakes, and a Fried Egg
My mom generally made a pot of rice for supper. What we didn’t eat, she left
in the pot overnight. The next morning she heated a little bacon grease in a small
pan and crisped up that rice for breakfast. We usually ate it with sausage and eggs. This is my homage to rice for breakfast.
It’s really a game plan for transforming leftover rice into something new and
special. You can go wild using anything you have in your refrigerator. Just know so
much of the success of this dish is tied to letting the rice sit undisturbed in the hot fat.
Resist the urge to stir!
Vivian Howard’s Deep Run Roots is Kitchn’s March pick for our Cookbook Club. See how you can participate here.
Crispy Ginger Rice with Leeks, Shiitakes, and a Fried Egg
Serves 2
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup
long-grain rice
- 3 tablespoons
butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon
vegetable oil
- 1 cup
diced fresh shiitake mushrooms (you can substitute any mushroom you like)
- 1 heaping tablespoon
minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon
minced garlic
- 1 cup
thinly sliced leeks, white parts only
- 1/4 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon
salt, divided
- 2
large eggs
- 2 tablespoons
coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Cook the rice according to the instructions, and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator a minimum of an hour and up to overnight. This allows the rice to dehydrate slightly and will make it crispier in the end.
In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and the vegetable oil over medium heat until foaming. Add the shiitakes. Shake the pan once and let the mushrooms sit and caramelize for 2 minutes. Drop in the ginger. Then add 1 tablespoon butter followed by the cooked rice. Press it into a thin layer over the surface area of the entire pan. Once you’ve pressed the rice out, leave it there, resisting the urge to shake or stir. To the top of the rice, add the garlic, leeks, chili flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. After about 3 minutes, turn up a little rice on the edge of the pan with a spatula. Assuming it’s started to take on a slight golden color and crispy texture, stir in the ingredients that were sitting on top and press the rice down again into a homogenous layer. Let it go another 2 minutes before removing it from the heat.
Cook the eggs and serve: In a 10-inch cast- iron skillet or whatever pan you prefer for cooking eggs, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat until foaming. Crack the eggs on opposite sides of the pan. Cook gently about 2 minutes, until the whites are set. Sprinkle the eggs with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Fluff the rice and serve under a runny egg. Garnish with cilantro.
Recipe Notes
Excerpted from Deep Run Roots, Copyright (c) 2016 by Vivian Howard. Used with permission of Little, Brown and Company, New York. All rights reserved.