Fried Rice

Name: Fried Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 1 to 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese Menu
Ingredients: Rice — 240g; Pork Belly — 100g; Eggs — 2; Kombu Salt — 2g; Black Pepper — To taste; Scallion — 50g; Garlic — 15g; Ginger — 10g; Vegetable Oil — 60ml; Sake — 7.5ml; Soy Sauce — 7.5ml

This traditional Japanese-style fried rice features individual, perfectly distinct grains coated in savoury flavour, enhanced by crispy garlic chips and tender pork belly. By precisely managing heat and using a seasoned umami-rich kombu salt, this professional technique ensures a light, non-greasy finish that captures the vibrant aroma of soy sauce and fresh spring onions in every single, restaurant-quality mouthful.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes

Servings: 1 to 2

Notes:

Use short or medium-grain rice cooked with a precise amount of water—roughly 550ml water for 500g of rice—and a small amount of oil to ensure the grains remain separate and avoid becoming mushy.

Kombu salt acts as a natural MSG substitute, providing an intense umami boost; if unavailable, substitute with a high-quality sea salt or a small amount of powdered dashi.

Preparing garlic chips in a cold pan with vegetable oil over low heat allows the flavour to infuse deeply while ensuring a perfectly crunchy, golden texture without the risk of burning.

When frying the rice, maintain high heat and keep the pan in direct contact with the burner as much as possible, as domestic stoves often lack the extreme intensity of professional commercial burners.

Pour the soy sauce around the very edge of the hot pan, rather than directly onto the rice; this 'cauterises' the sauce, creating a complex, toasted aroma that is essential for authentic fried rice.

Prepare Aromatics
Finely chop the garlic and ginger, and separate the spring onion stems from their fresh green leaves.

Prepare Garlic Chips
Place 3 tbsp vegetable oil and chopped garlic in a cold pan, heating slowly over low to medium heat until golden brown and crispy, then remove and set aside.

Cook Pork
Using the remaining flavoured oil from the garlic chips, sear the pork belly in a pan over medium-high heat until lightly coloured, then add the spring onion stems and cook for 20 seconds.

Fry Rice
Heat 1½ tbsp flavoured oil in a pan until smoking hot, add eggs and cook until 60% set, then fold in the seasoned pre-cooked rice, breaking it apart gently without mashing.

Finalise
Deglaze the edges of the pan with sake, fold in the fresh spring onion leaves, drizzle soy sauce around the hot pan edge, and mix in the crispy garlic chips before serving.