A Yunnan take on kimchi fried rice 泡菜炒饭

[abcdefg]

Kimchi is more than a staple in Korea: it's a national passion. It's nearly a religion. Not sure I've ever had a meal anywhere on the peninsula which didn't include it, regardless of the time of day. But any Chinese north-easterner 东北人 will be quick to remind you that it was invented in China and only later exported or stolen. A debate of that subject draws more heat and patriotic emotion than a discussion of nuclear weapons. 

Let me just say that pickled, fermented and salted vegetables are extremely popular here in Kunming, regardless of their origins. These are typically made from Napa-type cabbage and slivers of large white daikon radish, but hundreds of variations exist. Even a trip to the grocery store (below left) shows an ample selection, and my local wet market has even more (below right.) Note that all of these are spicy, to some degree or other. If you have a strong preference for bland 清淡 food, this glorious stuff is not for you. 

 

You can click the photos to enlarge them. 

 

 

 

And the Chinese equivalent of kimchi, usually called 泡菜 or 腌菜 or 酸菜, makes up into a killer fried rice. You can find it on the menu of even the most humble small eateries, and it's a snap to make at home. Let me show you how it worked out tonight as a tasty one-dish meal. 

 

I bought some robust cured beef 牛肉干吧 at the stand where they use lean mountain cattle from Yunnan's northeast Zhaotong Prefecture 着通州。It comes in large pieces of hind leg that are hanging in the shade. The helpful young guy cuts it into thin slices for you 切片。I bought 20 Yuan worth, pictured here below right, which was enough for two meals. It's more expensive than pork.

 

 

When I got ready to use it, I cut it up into very thin slivers and marinated them in corn starch 淀粉 and yellow cooking wine 黄酒 for 20 or 30 minutes. I prep the meat first and let it stand while I'm washing and cutting up the vegetables. This "velveting" process makes the meat more tender; allows you to use a shorter cooking time. 

 

 

 

 

Today I used some small cherry tomatoes, ripe on the vine, and some freshly-cut spring corn. Both have a subtle sweet flavor that makes a nice contrast with the other, more forward ingredients.

 

 

 

The pickled, salted vegetables are the star of this show. The ones I bought today were made from mustard greens. Yesterday I made the mistake of using an extremely hot type made with lots of pickled peppers. That didn't work out, set fire to my mouth, and today I knew better. 

 

 

 

Here below is the more temperate kind that I bought from the same seller's wife. She is usually more helpful, giving me recommendations and tastes of this or that, but she was off on my first shopping trip. The devil is often in the details of these things and many recipes I found on the Chinese internet said things like "Use enough, but be careful to not use too much." Well thanks many times over for that sagacious tip.

 

The result of my own experimentation over the years and deep discussions with knowledgeable friends has resulted in this secret formula: One heaping tablespoon of cut up 腌菜 pickled vegetables for each small bowl of rice used. (The small, individual rice bowl 饭碗 is an accepted unit of measure.)  Today I was using three bowls of left-over rice, hence three generous tablespoons of finely chopped greens. Obviously this is not ironclad, and will need to be adjusted to suit your taste buds. But at least it gives you a starting point. 

 

 

 

Fried rice works best with left-over rice, some that has spent a night or two in your fridge (not a week or two.) It dries out a little and is less likely to stick together. It still needs to be fluffed up with chopsticks or even with your dampened fingers before using.

 

Everything is assembled now, as seen below, ready to rock and roll. Fire up the wok. Add a small amount of oil after it's hot. Use high heat: after all the name of this game is "fried rice," not "stewed rice." A timid, low flame results in an unpleasant mush. 

 

 

 

Start with the meat. Quickly stir fry, until it just begins to brown. This only takes 30 or 45 seconds. Scoop it out and set it aside. One can make a a vegetarian version of this dish by substituting firm tofu. Smoked tofu strips work especially well. 

 

 

 

 

Start with the corn and tomatoes. Stir them fast until they begin to release some aroma and then add the preserved vegetables. Work quickly; this is not the time to walk away and check your phone for messages. 

 

 

 

When these ingredients have mixed well and the corn has begun to develop a slight surface caramel color, add back the meat, continuing to flip everything with flourish and vigor 翻炒。Try your best to not let things stick to the bottom of the wok. You would like to avoid a burned flavor. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now it's time for the rice. Notice that it's not just one large chunk. Break it up even more with your spatula 锅铲 using the edge and the flat part alternately. Work quickly, as mentioned before. Notice that there is lots of rice, relative to the added ingredients. If you put in chicken and ham and left-over shrimp and peas and mushrooms and carrots and celery and so on, you will wind up with a mess. Please exercise some restraint, hold those creative urges in check, and make a different stir fry with a selection from those other goodies tomorrow. 

 

You may have noticed no mention of adding salt, pepper, or any other seasonings. That wasn't an oversight: this dish doesn't need them. The meat 干吧 and the pickled greens 腌菜 supply all that is needed. No soy sauce, etc. 

 

 

 

Serve it up and eat it while warm. A fried rice dish like this can serve as a one-dish meal or you can supplement it with a soup or a salad. I followed mine tonight with some sweet freshly-cut pineapple, brought up from Xishuangbanna 西双版纳傣族自治州 in the very south of the province. 

 

 

 

Pro tip: It's OK to eat fried rice 炒饭 with a spoon. Look around next time you are in a small lunch room off on a side street in whatever province, all across China. A few people are doing it with chopsticks, but most efficiency-minded Chinese have picked up a spoon. 

 

Even though this tasted real good, I might have to relinquish my Michelin star because the rice isn't all individual grains. Perfect fried rice has no clumps at all, not even small ones. Never mind that. Give it a try. It's easy to find Korean kimchi in refrigerated packages all over the world, and it works very well, even without being Chinese. 

 

 

[somethingfunny]

3 hours ago, abcdefg said:

It's easy to find Korean kimchi in refrigerated packages all over the world, and it works very well, even without being Chinese.

 

But what do I use as a supplement for that meat!?

[Wippen (inactive)]

Thanks for this write-up.

I get addicted to kimchi every time I go to Korea. I tried to make my own and it can taste ok.

5 hours ago, abcdefg said:

I might have to relinquish my Michelin star

:-)

I am also addicted to Michelin restaurants by the way. Rarely eat out so I can save up for those unique meals that can stay in the memory for years.

[abcdefg]

14 hours ago, somethingfunny said:

But what do I use as a supplement for that meat!?

 

@somethingfunny -- In dishes like this I often use smoked duck breast 烟鸭胸肉。It's available fresh in supermarkets here, as well as in the wet market. Sold with the skin on; two meaty breasts for 9 or 10 Yuan. About a thousand times more flavor than chicken breast. Slivers of Yunan ham 云南宣威火腿 also works well. If I were trying to make this dish in the west, I would probably try using a good quality spicy or smoked sausage, maybe Italian or Polish. 

 

@Tøsen -- Of course you know I was joking about having a Michelin star. I admire great restaurants, but spend most of my time trying to make simple, family-style food in my own kitchen. And I love using fresh local ingredients that cannot be found everywhere. It's great fun to follow the seasons and use what is at its best now, just at this precise moment in time. 

 

[Wippen (inactive)]

7 hours ago, abcdefg said:

Of course you know I was joking about having a Michelin star

Yes fully aware. I wasn't joking about spending all of my money on Michelin star meals though. It is my hobby nearly.

 

7 hours ago, abcdefg said:

And I love using fresh local ingredients that cannot be found everywhe

You would have loved Noma, the top Danish 3 star michelin whose concept it was to forage for fresh and local products. They used things like ants instead of lemons as they refused to use anything that was not immediately available in the vicinity. Obviously lemons aren't.  A really talented chef: Rene Redzepi.

[abcdefg]

That does sound interesting! Bet it was good. 

 

I go usually go to Bali once every year. Most often stay in Ubud and make a point of reserving a table at Restaurant Locavore one evening towards the end. It's a fine dining establishment that uses the same concept as the one you mentioned in Denmark. Modern cuisine, using the best local seasonal ingredients. Not sure they go to the extremes that Noma does, with ants instead of lemons. 

 

The chefs are classically-trained, young and adventurous. Open kitchen concept. They offer a 5-course tasting menu as well as a 7-course one. For a bit more money, they will pair the courses with appropriate wines. Takes two or three hours. It's quite a splurge and quite a treat. 

 

https://www.locavore.co.id/ 

[Wippen (inactive)]

58 minutes ago, abcdefg said:

make a point of reserving a table at Restaurant Locavore one evening towards the end.

Thanks for this recommendation.It looks like they have a Michelin star. It sounds fantastic. Also like the fact they have a western chef as part of the team. This often can give rise to inspiring new concepts. It is definitely not a case of" too many cooks spoil.."