ARROZ CHAUFA
© 2016 All Rights Reserved by Norman Van Aken
Yield: 3 1/2 Cups
2 Cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice, (see below)
1 Tablespoon canola oil
5 ounces raw, broken up somewhat ‘hot’ (or mild) style Italian sausage
1 Cup onion, peeled and chopped medium
1 Scotch bonnet (or Thai or other hot) chile, seeded and stemmed, minced
1/2 Tablespoon minced ginger
4 scallions, trimmed and cut cross-wise into rings
2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
3/4 Cup cauliflower florets, blanched or par roasted until just tender
1 whole Kaffir lime leaf
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 Tablespoons mirin
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2-1 Tablespoon Sambal Olek, (or Sriracha)
2 eggs, lightly scrambled, cooled completely and then chopped
1 Tablespoon Thai (or Italian) basil, picked and roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon cilantro, picked and roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon mint, picked and roughly chopped
Soy Sauce, to taste
Preheat a wok to medium high.
Add the sausage meat, and stir-fry for 1 minute or until just about cooked through. Add the onion and allow to soften. Now add the Scotch bonnet, ginger, scallion and garlic. Stir well.
Add the kaffir lime leaf and cooked rice. Stir, shake and turn the rice until it is hot.
Add sesame oil. Continue to stir-fry.
Add mirin, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and sambal olek.
Continue on the heat. Now add the cooked egg, cooked cauliflower and herbs.
Cook for 1 more minute. Add the soy sauce. Stir. Taste. Reserve.
Ingredient Note: Thai basil, unlike the Italian (or ‘Genovese’) basil has purple stems and buds and a sharper, bolder flavor. It displays anise-like notes. We offer the regular in case you cannot source the Thai but the Thai is better here.
To Cook the Rice: NOTE: Yields: 3 + Cups. Reserve the rest for another use.
1 Cup basmati or jasmine rice
1 3/4 Cups water
Large pinch kosher salt
Begin by washing the rice.
Place the rice in a large bowl and fill with room temperature water. Sweep your hand through the water and the rice. The water will get cloudy. Pour off the water through a fine-meshed strainer and then dump the rice back in the same bowl.
Repeat this washing step until the water runs clear. (Usually, this takes 3 rinses).
Now fill up the bowl 1 more time and let the rice soak for 30 minutes. Strain off that water.
Now fill a medium saucepan with the water, add a pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
Add the rice. Stir a few times. When the water comes back to a full boil. Quickly turn the heat down as low as it can go, and then cover it with a tight fitting lid. (I like a clear one if possible to keep an eye on things).
Cook for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork. Reserve.
May be made one day in advance of making the full recipe of Arroz Chaufa
8.6.16
