Fried Rice with Frozen Egg

By: Chef Michael Gallina, Vicia & Winslow's Table

Serves 4 to 6

Gallina freezes eggs overnight, then thaws them before frying. He said the white remains loose and fries normally, but the yolk is putty-like, a texture Gallina and his wife, co-owner Tara Gallina, refer to as “egg butter.”

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 cup diced bacon or pancetta
• 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 3 cups cold cooked rice, preferably 1 to 2 days old
• 2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets with peeled and diced stems
• 2 cups sugar snap peas or snow peas, cut into ¼-inch pieces
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar, plus more as needed
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Butter, to fry the eggs
• 4 to 6 eggs, frozen in shell and thawed in the refrigerator overnight
• Sea salt, to taste

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until crisp, about 3 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and saute until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the spring onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a plate and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.

Return the pan to the stove and increase the heat to high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Once very hot and just beginning to smoke, add the rice and saute until the edges are light brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Fold in the broccoli, peas and the reserved onion-bacon mixture. Saute until the peas and broccoli are al dente, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and season with the rice vinegar and salt, to taste.

Spoon the rice mixture into serving bowls. 

Return the pan to the stove over medium-high heat and melt enough butter to coat the bottom. Crack 2 to 3 eggs into the pan and fry 2 to 3 minutes, basting the egg whites with the butter until they are set. Season the yolks with sea salt to finish. Top each bowl with an egg. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Serve warm.