In Sous Vide Made Simple, author Lisa Q. Fetterman provides recipes to make the most out of your immersion circulator.
How do I take my near-boundless love for fried rice to the next level? By combining it with another love of mine—kimchi, the tangy, spicy fermented cabbage that is the heart of Korean cuisine. Typical of Korean home cooking, where simplicity often belies a complex depth of flavor, this dish combines pantry ingredients with leftover rice to produce something extraordinary. As is always true with fried rice, it works best when the rice is cooked in advance and chilled, because the grains will stick less to the pan and each other. Gochujang, a Korean fermented soybean chile paste readily available at Asian markets, gives the dish its requisite heat. Butter, while not a traditional Korean ingredient, is increasingly common in modern Korean cooking, and its richness is a wonderful contrast to the lactic acid tang of kimchi. Once you try this beloved comfort food, you may find yourself cooking extra rice for other meals as an excuse to make this dish.
Directions
- Preheat the water bath to 63°C (145.4°F).
- When the water reaches the target temperature, using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the whole eggs directly into the water bath and cook for 1 hour (or up to 2 hours).
- Remove the eggs from the water bath. Chill the eggs in an ice water bath for 10 minutes before refrigerating. Cooked eggs can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or more.
- If using right away: Set the eggs aside at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, or up to 1 hour, before proceeding. For recipes where an additional cooking step isn’t necessary, the eggs can be kept warm and ready to serve by lowering the water temperature to 60°C (140°F) for up to 2 hours.
- Before measuring the kimchi, use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as possible into a bowl or measuring cup. Discard all but 1⁄4 cup of the liquid. In a small bowl, whisk together the kimchi liquid, gochujang, and soy sauce. Set aside.
- In a large wok or sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add the chopped kimchi and green onion (white and light green parts) and sauté, stirring frequently, until the kimchi and green onion have begun to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and drizzle it with the sesame oil, using a wooden spoon to break apart the rice and mix in the oil. Continue to cook, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the rice as it sticks to the pan, until the rice is heated through and beginning to brown in places, 2 to 5 minutes. Mix in the kimchi liquid mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, stirring constantly, until the liquid is incorporated. Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning, adding more soy sauce if desired.
- In a separate nonstick pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat until sizzling. Carefully crack a poached egg into a small bowl and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the egg to the skillet, leaving behind any unset whites. Repeat with the rest of the eggs. Cook until the edges of the egg whites begin to bubble and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. If the eggs are coming straight from the fridge, turn the heat to low and cover the pan, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the eggs are warmed through—the tops should be just warm to the touch.
- Divide the kimchi rice among four bowls and, using a spatula, remove each fried egg from the pan and place it on top of the rice. Sprinkle with the reserved green onion, toasted nori, and sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Reprinted with permission from Sous Vide Made Simple by Lisa Q. Fetterman, Meesha Halm, and Scott Peabody, copyright © 2018. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photography credit Monica Lo © 2018
