Golden Kimchi Fried Rice with Crispy Fried Eggs

⏱ 25 min · Serves 2

Tangy, well-fermented kimchi meets cold day-old rice and a slick of gochujang butter for a smoky, savoury pan of comfort. Top each bowl with a crispy-edged fried egg and let the runny yolk do the rest.

Per serving: 775 kcal · 26.0g protein · 62.0g carbs · 47.0g fat

Ingredients

• 350g cooked short-grain rice, cold (ideally day-old)
• 200g well-fermented cabbage kimchi, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp kimchi brine from the jar
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed)
• 150g smoked bacon lardons or diced pork belly (or 150g firm tofu, cubed)
• 3 spring onions, sliced (white and green parts kept separate)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 15g unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 sheet nori, snipped into thin strips (optional)

Method

1. Break up the cold rice with wet hands so there are no clumps. Set aside. Squeeze the chopped kimchi lightly and keep the brine separate.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the bacon lardons and fry 4-5 minutes until browned and the fat has rendered. (For tofu, fry until golden on all sides.)
3. Add the spring onion whites and garlic, stir for 30 seconds, then tip in the chopped kimchi. Fry hard for 3-4 minutes until the edges caramelise and smell sweet rather than raw.
4. Stir in the gochujang, sugar and soy sauce, cook 30 seconds, then pour in the kimchi brine and let it bubble down for a minute.
5. Add the rice and the butter. Press and toss the rice against the hot pan for 4-5 minutes, letting some grains catch and crisp. Finish with the sesame oil and taste - add a splash more soy if needed.
6. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a small pan and fry the eggs over medium-high heat until the whites are lacy and crisp but the yolks still runny.
7. Divide the rice between two warm bowls, top each with a fried egg and scatter over the spring onion greens, sesame seeds and nori strips. Break the yolk and mix through as you eat.