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Fried rice with bacon and cardamom
This aromatic version of homemade fried rice marries the rich, meaty crunch of bacon and the floral sweetness of green cardamom against salty soy and toasty sesame. You’ll never go back to takeaway fried rice again!
YIELDS
4
TO
6
Ingredients
Cardamom Oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
Rice
- 2 cups (470 ml) long grain white rice
- 2 1/2 cups (590 ml) water
Fried Rice
- 8 ounces (227 g) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced ginger
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5) ground green cardamom
- 1 cup (240 ml) frozen peas, thawed
- Salt and ground white pepper
- 4 scallions, chopped
Directions
Cardamom Oil
- In a small saucepan, combine the oil and cardamom pods.
- Bring the oil and cardamom to a simmer over low heat for five minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow to sit for four to six hours before using.
- Strain the oil into a jar and refrigerate it until needed.
Rice
- Rinse rice well, drain, then combine with water in a saucepan set over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then cover tightly, and reduce heat to the lowest setting.
- Steam, without disturbing, for 15 minutes.
- Cut the heat. Leave covered/undisturbed for 10 more minutes.
- Before using for fried rice, turn the rice out onto a flat pan and allow it to cool completely. Fluff with a fork.
Fried Rice
- Heat your wok over medium heat, add the bacon and allow it to render down and become somewhat crisp for five to six minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop the bacon out of the wok and onto a paper towel-lined plate.
- Bring the heat under the wok to medium-high. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for two to three minutes, until translucent and starting to brown lightly.
- Using a wooden spatula, push the cooked onion, garlic, and ginger up the sides of the wok.
- Add the eggs to the wok, and cook while stirring, one to two minutes.
- Push the eggs up the side of the wok to where the onion mixture is.
- Add the cooked rice to the wok and stir-fry for two to three minutes, incorporating the onion-egg mixture. Use a wooden spatula to flatten out and break up any clumps.
- Pour in the soy around the hot edges of the wok – ideally, it will sizzle and reduce slightly as it is added.
- Add ground cardamom and mix thoroughly.
- Add the bacon and the peas to the wok and toss all together over the heat, stirring with the spatula, for one to two minutes, until warmed through.
- Season with salt and white pepper.
- Serve rice hot, garnished with scallions and a drizzle of cardamom oil. Enjoy!
