Kimchi and Shirasu Fried Rice with a Hint of Shiso, and Of Course the Sinful Egg Yolk

Earlier last week I was making a sashimi appetizer and got a small pack of Japanese shiso leaves, which usually comes in 6 to 10 leaves. These leaves carry a distinct and almost perfume-like scent. Therefore, using one or two leaves usually go a long way for a simple dish. But what to do with the remaining leafy greens? 

You can use shiso as a wrap for barbecued meat, mix in onigiri (Japanese rice ball), and even add to creamy salmon spaghetti. However, this time, I'm going to pair the fragrant plant with one other pungent veggie - Korean napa cabbage kimchi. As expected, these two strong flavors actually complement each other quite well. You get that spicy kick at first bite but soon follow aromatic scent from the shiso leaves. Don't even mention the sinful sensation from the runny egg yolk.

Kimchi and shirasu fried rice with a hint of shiso -

Ingredients (for 3 to 4 portions)?

• 2 1/2 cups of steamed white rice
• 1 1/2 cups of napa cabbage kimchi
• 1 1/2 cups of shirasu
• 3 to 4 eggs
• 8 shiso leaves
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 to 4 red chilies
• 1 string of scallion
• 1 tablespoons of toasted white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• Some olive oil
• Few dashes of sesame oil

How?

Freshly made or leftover steamed white rice are both fine for this recipe. I prefer using freshly steamed rice because it's easier to mix with the fried rice ingredients. Just remember to use less water when cooking the rice if intended to use it for fried rice right away. Otherwise too much liquid might left you with a smooshy mess in the end. 

Cut the scallion into thin strips diagonally, as thin and long as you can. Soak in icy cold water till they curl up then drain well. Pat dry and set aside for later use. 

Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Roll up the shiso leaves and finely chop them. Discard the chili stems and finely chop the remaining. Chop the kimchi into bite size pieces.

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and turn to medium heat, add in chopped garlic. Cool till the aroma comes out but not burning the garlic, quickly add in the kimchi and chilies, cook for about 1 minute.

Turn to medium high heat. Add in shirasu and give it a quick stir. Pour in soy sauce from the sides of the pan, so the direct heat can further release the soy sauce aroma. Also add in the fish sauce. Cook for another minute.

Add the shiso and toasted white sesame seeds, mix with all the ingredients. Blend in the rice in two batches. Make sure no lumps or white grains present before plating. 

Use a non-stick pan, drizzle enough olive oil to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Turn to medium high heat. Wait till the oil gets hotter then break in one egg. Try to make a sunny side up egg with the yolk still runny in the center. Transfer the egg on top of the fried rice and serve with curled scallion strings. 

You can substitute shirasu with small pieces of chicken or fatty pork, both giving you comforting result. 

Other fried rice recipes:

• This time, no chicken eggs, but salted duck egg for Chinese fried rice
• Sirloin fried rice with crisp red onions and a hint of Japanese seasonings
• Fried rice with shirasu and tuna floss
• Fried rice level up - Japanese omurice recipe
• Karasumi fried rice