Ginger Fried Rice
Having written cookbooks with the chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten (along with being his friend) for more than 15 years, I’ve seen him develop a fair number of stunning recipes. My favorites have always been the simple ones, those that came from his Alsatian background or his years working and traveling in Asia. And I was never more impressed than when he created his version of fried rice, topped with crisp ginger and a fried egg.
It’s the straightforward but extremely clever refinements on the classic that make his recipe special. Like all fried-rice dishes, you must start this one with leftover rice; fresh rice is simply too moist. (Mr. Vongerichten specifies jasmine rice, but white from Chinese takeout works nearly as well and is more convenient.) Unlike most, his is cooked in rendered chicken fat, which has incomparable flavor. With the chef’s blessing, I tested the recipe with peanut oil, which is fine.
Perhaps unsurprisingly — this is a chef’s recipe, after all — the recipe requires separate cooking processes: ginger and garlic are crisped, leeks softened, rice and eggs fried. But no step takes more than a few minutes, and the recipe is absolutely worth the effort.
To serve, the chef molds the rice into gorgeous mounds and carefully tops each with egg and garnishes, and here’s where I draw the line. I prefer to spend my time cooking and eating rather than making this little dish look pretty.
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
Salt
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed and dried
4 cups day-old cooked rice, preferably jasmine, at room temperature
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 teaspoons soy sauce.
1. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and salt lightly.
2. Reduce heat under skillet to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons oil and leeks. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender but not browned. Season lightly with salt.
3. Raise heat to medium and add rice. Cook, stirring well, until heated through. Season to taste with salt.
4. In a nonstick skillet, fry eggs in remaining oil, sunny-side-up, until edges are set but yolk is still runny.
5. Divide rice among four dishes. Top each with an egg and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Sprinkle crisped garlic and ginger over everything and serve.