Growing up, fried rice was a staple in our home. My mother served it with yellow radish pickles and kimchi, sometimes crowned with a fried egg. On certain days it appeared a little fancier—tucked neatly inside an omelet, or my personal favorite, stuffed into inari age, those seasoned fried tofu pouches that soak up every grain.
Fried rice exists in many forms across Asia—China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, to name only a few—each with its own techniques, flavors, and traditions. I cannot say that my version belongs squarely to any one of them. It began with the flavors and instincts of Korean-style fried rice, but over time it evolved, influenced by my Chinese-Hungarian-American ex-husband and the ingredients commonly found in American kitchens: leftover ham, jalapeño, and calabacita.
Fried rice exists in many forms across Asia—China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, to name only a few—each with its own techniques, flavors, and traditions. I cannot say that my version belongs squarely to any one of them. It began with the flavors and instincts of Korean-style fried rice, but over time it evolved, influenced by my Chinese-Hungarian-American ex-husband and the ingredients commonly found in American kitchens: leftover ham, jalapeño, and calabacita.
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| Ceramic bowl was wheel-thrown and glazed by me |
This version leans into a playful idea of surf and turf—shrimp representing the sea and ham representing the land—folded together into a wok of rice that carries pieces of many kitchens along the way.
Heat a large nonstick wok over high heat and drizzle enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Add the cooked rice and begin breaking up the grains with a wooden spoon. Add a half teaspoon of sea salt flakes and fold the rice to mix.
Add the prepared green onion, jalapeño, and ham.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue mixing the ingredients in the wok. Add the remaining sea salt flakes and the prepared calabacita. Continue folding and mixing for about three minutes.
Make a well in the center of the wok and add the prepared egg. Scramble the egg until nearly cooked, then mix it into the rice.
Make another well in the center and add the prepared shrimp. Quickly stir the shrimp until slightly cooked, then mix them into the rice.
Grind black pepper over the wok—about three or four twists. Taste the fried rice. If it needs a little more seasoning, add a pinch or two of sea salt flakes and more freshly ground black pepper to your taste.
Continue folding and mixing for another minute or two before serving.
Enjoy this Surf & Turf Fried Rice served with kimchi.
INGREDIENTS
[serves 3 as a main dish]
one and a half cups of short-grain white rice, cooked and cooled
six ounces of shrimp, deveined, shelled, and diced
five ounces of ham, diced
one bunch of green onion, diced
one jalapeño, finely chopped
a quarter cup of diced calabacita, also known as Mexican squash
one egg, fork-whipped and seasoned with salt
one teaspoon of sea salt flakes
vegetable oil to drizzle
freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat a large nonstick wok over high heat and drizzle enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Add the cooked rice and begin breaking up the grains with a wooden spoon. Add a half teaspoon of sea salt flakes and fold the rice to mix.
Add the prepared green onion, jalapeño, and ham.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue mixing the ingredients in the wok. Add the remaining sea salt flakes and the prepared calabacita. Continue folding and mixing for about three minutes.
Make a well in the center of the wok and add the prepared egg. Scramble the egg until nearly cooked, then mix it into the rice.
Make another well in the center and add the prepared shrimp. Quickly stir the shrimp until slightly cooked, then mix them into the rice.
Grind black pepper over the wok—about three or four twists. Taste the fried rice. If it needs a little more seasoning, add a pinch or two of sea salt flakes and more freshly ground black pepper to your taste.
Continue folding and mixing for another minute or two before serving.
Enjoy this Surf & Turf Fried Rice served with kimchi.
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