This is not at all a traditional recipe for fried rice. I just made it up one night after opening the fridge and spying a leftover carton of take-out Chinese rice. The kids loved it, especially since I made a point of sauteing the rice until it was crispy.
Consider this recipe a blueprint for leftovers. In fact, whenever you boil rice, make a double recipe to guarantee leftovers. That way, you have an exciting side dish or the base for dinner a few nights later. This recipe calls for peppers, bacon, eggs, and peas. You could substitute broccoli, ham, and Cheddar cheese -- whatever you have kicking around in the fridge. Almost anything tastes good cooked in fried rice.
Ingredients:
6 thin slice bacon 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped ½ red bell pepper, finely chopped ½ yellow bell pepper, finely chopped 2 cups cooked rice (can be leftovers from night before) 2 large eggs, lightly beaten ½ cup frozen peas, thawed 2 teaspoons soy sauce or to taste Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Thinly sliced scallions for garnish
Directions:
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning often, until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble into small pieces.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and peppers. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the rice to the skillet, turn up the heat to medium-high, and stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the eggs, onion mixture, bacon, and peas. Cook stirring, until the eggs are cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Turn out into a warmed serving bowl and garnish with the sliced scallions.
Recipe courtesy of Sara Moulton from her book "Sara Moulton Cooks at Home"; Broadway Books, 2002.
