Sometimes the most satisfying meals are the ones you make up on the spot, conjured from the need to use all the leftover stuff in the fridge combined with the lack of desire to leave the house for groceries. (This confluence of events, however, also often results in cereal for dinner. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
This was how my Pantry Pasta, which is now in regular rotation when I’m feeling particularly lazy, was invented, and it’s also the reason why I created Salmon Fried Rice. I had some leftover rice, some canned salmon, some almost-need-to-be-thrown-out vegetables and some eggs. I was holed up at home during some version or another of the Snowpocalypse of the year, and I’d been craving Korean food (specifically, Bibimbap — my favourite in T.O. is available here). I also generally try to throw a runny egg onto/into most things where I can get away with it. This is kind of a bastardized, Chinese version of a Salmon Bibimbap, but if you have some Kimchi, it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
You can pretty much invent your own version of this dish with leftover meats or veggies you have kicking around — and even if you don’t have rice, it’s no big deal to cook some up fresh while you prep the other ingredients. (You may want to do this with a little less water than usual, since you want the rice to absorb some of the liquid while it cooks with the rest of the ingredients.)
In this case, I recommend just having canned salmon around — it’s usually wild-caught and a decent and less expensive alternative to fresh that you can keep in your pantry forever, though it can be high in sodium. I will often use salmon in place of tuna for sandwich spreads, or toss it with some fresh herbs and leftover mashed potatoes and fry it up to make salmon cakes for a nice light dinner served over greens.
Salmon Fried Rice
Serves 2
3 cups leftover cooked rice
Vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece ginger, sliced thin
2 scallions, chopped, white and green parts separated
1 small Thai chili, split lengthwise (optional)
2 cups finely chopped leftover vegetables *
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing (rice) cooking wine
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 cans wild sockeye salmon, drained and flaked
2 eggs
Chili sauce (my favourites for this are the Lee Kum Kee brand Chiu Chow Chili Oil or Sriracha)
* I like spinach, bok choy, or kale; you could also use celery, carrots, or whatever you have lying around that needs to be used up.
1. Break up the rice so it’s not all clumped together and the grains are separated.
2. In a wok, or a large, wide, nonstick pan, heat about 2 tbsp vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Throw in garlic, ginger, white parts of the scallions, and chili (if using), tossing gently and allowing to sizzle for about 30 seconds (avoid burning).
3. Add the soy sauce and rice wine, then the vegetables and toss gently. Add the stock and simmer gently to cook vegetables; adjust the timing depending on what vegetables you’re using. Spinach will only take a minute or so to wilt; kale or celery will take longer — you want it to be crisp-tender and not soggy.
4. Add the salmon and rice, breaking up and mixing in well. If your rice is very dry, you may want to add a little more stock so it absorbs the flavours and reconstitutes to the right consistency — be careful not to add to much or you’ll get mushy rice.
5. Adjust seasonings to taste and set aside, keeping warm. Fry two eggs, sunny side up, then scoop the rice into bowls, garnish with green parts of scallions, top each with a fried egg, then drizzle some chili sauce.
Sara Chan is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer, food enthusiast, unprofessional home chef and even less professional food photographer. Her favourite food group is pork. Sara’s column appears every other Tuesday here on lawandstyle.ca.