← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 450 g cooked short-grain rice, preferably day-old and cold
• 150 g well-fermented kimchi, chopped
• 3 tbsp kimchi juice from the jar
• 80 g bacon (or ham or spam), diced
• ¼ Onion, diced
• 1 Spring onion, sliced, whites and greens kept apart
• 1 tbsp Gochujang
• 1 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil, divided
• 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1 sheet Nori, crumbled or cut into strips (optional)
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds (optional)

Method

1. Fry the bacon in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat for 3–4 min, until most of the fat has melted and the edges are crisp. Add a little oil if the pan looks dry.
2. Add the onion and spring onion whites and cook for 1 minute, then add the kimchi and stir-fry for 2–3 min, until it softens and smells toasty.
3. Stir in the kimchi juice, gochujang and soy sauce, then add the rice. Break up any clumps and toss over medium heat for 3–4 min, until every grain is coated and hot. Press it flat for the last minute so the bottom crisps a little.
4. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a separate pan with a little oil, keeping the yolks runny.
5. Turn off the heat, drizzle the rice with sesame oil and toss. Divide between bowls, top each with an egg, the spring onion greens, nori and sesame seeds.

Tips

• Cold, day-old rice fries best. Cool freshly cooked rice quickly, refrigerate it within an hour and use it within a day.
• Kimchi often contains fish sauce or shrimp; vegan kimchi plus mushrooms instead of bacon makes a vegetarian version.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang RecipeTin Eats Maangchi