Ichiro's Rice

This is my version of my mother's version of a recipe she learned from someone like 35 years ago. There's almost something profound going on there.

Well here you go, anyway: Ichiro's fried rice.

Ingredients

• 3c leftover rice (or fresh cooked rice, chilled for two hours or so)
  
• 1/2c carrots, chopped
  
• 1/2c edamame
  
• 3/4c chopped cremini mushrooms
  
• 2tbsp sesame oil
  
• 2 eggs
  
• soy sauce
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• salt and pepper
  

The exact things in the vegetables are totally optional. Use whatever you have on hand, preferably leftovers. Suitable vegetables include (but are not limited to) peas, carrots, broccoli, scallions, mushrooms, edamame (we just had some in the freezer at the time), onions, bell peppers, zucchini (yes, we've done it), or whatever else.

Sautee edamame and carrots in oil with garlic. Throw in some salt and pepper. When they're suitably cooked, throw in the mushrooms (as they take much less time to cook). Add about 1-2tsp of soy sauce for added liquid. After about 1 minute, throw in all the rice. Break it up with whatever cooking implement you happen to be using, and throw in just a little more soy sauce. Keep in mind - it's easier to add than to take away. Once the rice is broken up, crack in two eggs directly into the mixture. Break the yolks and stir with the rice. Continue to turn the rice over so the egg cooks, about 1-2 minutes. Take it off the heat and serve.

Thoughts: This is really good with a little Sriracha, and it's barely any work. It's adaptable since you can use pretty much any ingredients. We've considered adding chicken cut into strips, though have yet to try it. Tofu works really well.This is your basic "fried rice" base recipe, and to it you can add just about anything. It's fairly spare on seasonings, though it could use additional ginger. Works better with leftover rice - if you're using chilled fresh rice, cook it a little longer to counter the added moisture.

Claire suggests that next time we use the egg as a protein rather than a binding agent - that is, we move the rice & veg aside and crack the egg into the bottom of the pot. Stir the egg around until it's cooked, and then scrape it off the bottom and cut into slices using the spatula.

Disaster Index: 1-2/10