Prosciutto Kimchi Fried Rice
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups napa cabbage kimchi, drained and sliced
1-2 TB gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)
3 slices prosciutto*, chopped
dab (< 1 TB) butter 3-4 cups of cooked/cold/day-old rice canola or peanut oil scallion, chopped for garnish eggs (1 per person): optional salt & pepper *Note: Bacon, pancetta, Canadian bacon/ham, or other types of hams can be substituted for prosciutto. You can get creative with this dish!
- Chop prosciutto into small pieces. Heat a non-stick or a cast iron pan on medium-high heat. Add a little bit of oil (~ 1 tsp, just enough to get things started). Once the pan is hot, add the chopped prosciutto and some fresh black pepper to the pan (I add the black pepper to mitigate the odor/taste of prosciutto that doesn’t fit the palate of some Koreans). Sauté until crispy. This should happen very quickly. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt a dab of butter and sauté the drained kimchi. Sauté for a few minutes (until transluscent). Add gochujang. Mix well to ensure that the gochujang is well distributed. Once the gochujang is mixed in, immediatey add the rice. Gochujang has a tendency to burn; so, make sure to add the rice immediately. Add back the prosciutto. Mix well.
- Once well combined, thinly spread out the contents. Let it “toast” until the rice starts to turn golden brown and slightly crispy. Mix well.
- If you choose to add eggs to your fried rice, pan-fry one egg per person. The egg should be cooked sunny-side up or over-easy depending on your preference. Don’t forget to add a dash of salt and pepper.
- Divide up the rice among 2-4 plates. Sprinkle with chopped scallions and top with a pan-fried egg. Serve while hot. The creaminess of the egg yolk and the salty/spiciness of the prosciutto-kimchi fried rice are divine together.
