Chicken Turmeric Fried Rice
[Photo credit: Alex Paternostro]
by Seth Paternostro
November 6, 2021
A few ingredients prepared very simply can make for a wonderful meal, and, depending on the aromatics involved, can indeed evoke the feels of foreign lands. So, buckle the seatbelts on that beautiful Karastan rug, and transport yourselves to an imagined world made right here in the US of A.
Serves 2
Total time
30 minutes
Equipment:
cutting board, chef’s knife or cleaver, small mixing bowls, tasting spoon, wok shovel, clean towels or paper towels, measuring cups and spoons, large well-seasoned carbon steel wok, wok stand (if needed), “grease gutter” (small pan to pour off used oil), squirt bottle (for fresh oil)
Tableware:
bowls and utensils
Ingredients
1 drumstick and thigh from Buttermilk-Brined Spatchcocked Chicken
3 cloves garlic
4 tsps fish sauce
1 tsp light brown sugar
2-inches turmeric
2-inches ginger, from a thick piece
2 cups freshly made jasmine rice
Salt, as needed
Peanut oil, as needed
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
1 lime, for serving
Instructions
Set out all equipment, tableware, and ingredients. Prepare Buttermilk-Brined Spatchcocked Chicken. Rinse the cilantro and lime.
Peel the garlic, ginger, and turmeric. Thinly slice the garlic. Mince the turmeric to fit in about 1 tbsp. Finely julienne the ginger to make about ½ cup. Quarter the lime. Roughly chop the cilantro.
Pull the chicken meat off of the bones, reserving the latter with the skin for stock. Chop the meat into bite-size pieces. Mix with 1 tsp each of sugar and fish sauce.
Preheat wok over high heat until smoking, swirl in a small amount of oil to coat, and pour out excess in the “grease-gutter,” which can be placed at the center-back region of the stove.
When beginning to smoke again, pour in 3 tbsp peanut oil, and swirl to heat.
Add the ginger, a pinch of salt, and the garlic, then cook until just beginning to brown. Keep the aromatics moving constantly.
Stir in the turmeric, then immediately add the chicken, and mix briefly.
Add the rice, breaking it up if needed, and stir-fry until very hot. If the rice sticks to the sides of the wok, add a little more oil, and make sure the heat is as high as possible. The rice should sizzle and crackle when hot enough.
Drizzle the remaining fish sauce down the sides of the wok, and immediately toss to coat the rice.
Taste, adjust salt, toss, and plate.
Sprinkle over the cilantro, and serve with lime.
A diagonal ascent from bulbous ginger to pointed garlic and protruding turmeric [Photo credit: Alex Paternostro]
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories 372 Total Fat 13.5g (17%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 65mg (22%) Sodium 766mg (33%) Total Carbohydrate 47.1g (17%) Dietary Fiber 2.2g (8%) Total Sugars 2.8g Protein 19.3g Vitamin D 0mcg (0%) Calcium 53mg (4%) Iron 2mg (13%) Potassium 458mg (10%) - Note: Please read our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Seth Paternostro is a writer and recipe developer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. You can learn more about him here.
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