Brown Ginger Fried Rice

I've given Spice Market it's fair due over several visits, like John Kessler, and the verdict is not good. Sounds like a great concept, right? Completely focused on style. Asian fusion. Trendy street food. Too-cool-for-thou atmosphere. Oh, actually, maybe not. The formula is unfortunately unbalanced, with food taking a back seat to trends, style and the French. It's a crime, especially so close to the street that has fused Atlanta's Asian cuisine: Buford Highway.


But. We really never need to go back. Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has given away his best recipe, so we can now make our very own French-ifyed, deconstructed Spice Market dish! He shared this recipe for Ginger Fried Rice with the NY Times' Mark Bittman, and it might just be the best Asian fusion I've ever made [also, only]. 

WARNING, you've got to use day old rice. I've made a habit of pulling out our Tomagachi the night before a craving sneaks up. In a pinch, you could make a batch the day-of. Just spread it out on a baking sheet and dry it out in the freezer for about 15 minutes before frying [great tip from Kate!]. And be sure to wash the rice well in advance, especially if using brown, in order to minimize potential for sticky, mushy rice.

Also, use of fresh ginger is incredibly important here. Not only is it ridiculously cheap, leftover root stores very well in the freezer for future rice nights.

Brown Ginger Fried Rice 
Adapted from Mark Bittman's adaptation from Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Spice Market
Serves 4

Crunch berries and egg topping [pan 1]:
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger

4 eggs

Rice [pan 2]:
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
2 cups onion or leeks, diced 
3 cups day-old cooked rice (brown, jasmine, leftover Chinese take-out)
1-2 cups additional diced vegetables, such as carrot, green onion, cabbage, peas, etc.
2 teaspoons sesame oil (for some heat but the same awesome flavor, use hot sesame oil)
2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. In a large non-stick 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. Turn of the heat and let the pan hang out for a minute.

2. Heat pan #2 to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons oil. Cook onions/leeks five minutes, then add additional vegetables and cook five more minutes until tender.

3. Raise heat to medium and add rice. Cook, stirring occasionally until rice is nicely browned, about five minutes. Season with soy sauce to taste [or for true deconstruction, wait until it's plated, your choice].

4. Back in pan #1, 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.

Leftover fried rice stores well, but not the crisped garlic/ginger or sunny side up eggs. Leave those out of refrigerated rice, and make fresh batches before serving again.