Bacon and Shiso Fried Rice
HumbleBean
- Serves
- 2
I love the distinctive taste of shiso and got excited at the idea of pairing the flavor with bacon. The original recipe (which comes from an old Japanese cooking magazine) uses short-grain white rice. I prefer brown rice because it gives a nice hearty chew. Remember to use rice that’s been cooked and refrigerated for a day or more. Fresh rice will be too sticky and make it hard to incorporate the ingredients. For me, 2 days in the fridge is optimal because the rice has the right firmness. - HumbleBean
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- pinch salt
- pinch ground pepper
- dash sesame oil
- 2 slices bacon, sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 8 ounce cooked rice, refrigerated for 2 days
- 1 teaspoon sake
- 3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
- 10 shiso leaves, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced thinly
Featured Video
This dish is really bacon-and-eggs meets rice-and-shiso. Once they all mingle in a piping hot wok, you get crisp bits of bacon and rice, the egg pulls the ingredients together and the shiso tops it all off, singing with a licorice-mint fragrance. This may become our new home-alone meal. The dish serves just one, maybe two as a side. We preferred a plump, short-grain rice, like Arborio or sushi, to a long-grain rice. And HumbleBean's tip to use 2-day-old chilled rice is a good one. If your shiso leaves are large -- ours were the size of our palms -- use half the amount called for; and if you can't find shiso, substitute a combination of mint and basil. - A&M
Directions
- Step 1
Crack the egg in a small bowl and add the salt, pepper, and sesame oil. Mix well and set aside.
- Step 2
Heat a wok or large pan over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until almost crispy and let cool on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Step 3
Clean the wok with a paper towel, heat the oil over medium heat, and coat the bottom and sides well. Turn down the heat to low and add the ginger and onion and cook until fragrant. Increase the heat to high and add the rice, breaking up clumps with the back of a wooden spoon and continue stirring until everything is incorporated. Add the bacon and toss to mix. Make a well at the center and pour the egg and scramble. Toss to combine.
- Step 4
Add the sake and shoyu, then salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined. Turn off the heat, mix in the shiso leaves and serve.