Kimchi Bokkeumbap with Egg and Cheese
Kimchi fried rice with a runny fried egg and melted mozzarella folded in.
Ingredients
- 2 cupcold cooked rice (day-old, grains separated)
- 1 cupkimchi, chopped small (reserve 2 tbsp of its juice)
- 1 1/2 tbspneutral oil (or bacon fat)
- 1 tspgochujang or gochugaru (optional)
- 1 tspsoy sauce
- 1 clovegarlic, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cupshredded mozzarella
- 1 tspsesame oil
- 1 scallion or culantro coyote, sliced (garnish)
Instructions
- 1
If rice isn't already cold and dry, spread it on a tray uncovered in the fridge for 20 minutes. Wet or warm rice will steam instead of fry.
20:00 - 2
Heat the oil in a wide pan or wok over medium-high. Add the chopped kimchi and minced garlic. Fry 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until edges start to caramelize and it smells toasted, not just sour.
04:00 - 3
Add the rice to the pan, breaking up clumps. Stir in the reserved kimchi juice, gochujang, and soy sauce. Fry 4-5 minutes over medium-high, pressing rice into the pan occasionally to let it catch a little color before flipping.
05:00 - 4
Turn heat to low. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the rice and fold through just until it goes stringy-melted, not fully liquid. Kill the heat immediately after — don't let it go rubbery.
- 5
In a second pan, fry the eggs in a little oil over medium heat until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 2-3 minutes. Don't flip.
03:00 - 6
Divide rice between two plates, drizzle with sesame oil, top each with a fried egg, and scatter scallion on top. Break the yolk into the rice as you eat.
Notes
Pitfalls: (1) wet rice = mush, no way to fix mid-cook, prep ahead. (2) mozzarella added too early or over high heat turns rubbery — always add off heat or on lowest heat. (3) if the kimchi is fresh/mild rather than aged-sour, add extra brine or gochugaru to compensate for missing funk.
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