Do you guys watch Top Chef? If so, you may remember Angelo from the season in D.C. (and All Stars too, I think). He was all about Asian-inspired cuisine, and though his giant ego made him a bit tough to root for at the start, it definitely made for good tv. He popped up in this month’s issue of Food & Wine, where he was challenged to create a dish using a five ingredient basket selected by the magazine. He also had access to pantry staples and could select any two additional ingredients he wanted. One final rule – the dish had to be ready in 30 minutes or less. If you’ve ever watched Chopped on Food Network, it was basically along the same lines, minus the always entertaining commentary from some of the tougher judges (I’m looking at you Alex, Scott and Geoffrey).
Anyway, Angelo’s basket of ingredients included potato chips, ground turkey, lemongrass, cooked rice and mint, and this fried rice was his creation. I love the fried rice from my local Chinese restaurant, but I’ve never actually tried to make my own. I’m not sure what inspired me to start now, but it was super easy. You really need to prep all of your ingredients ahead of time, which typically I never do, but things move fast here so if you’re stopping to chop lemongrass or crack eggs, you’re likely going to overcook, or worse, burn something else. I probably spent 5 minutes prepping ingredients and about 10 cooking the dish, definitely one of the fastest dinners I’ve ever made.
I wasn’t sure how this dish would be received by Shane, but he wound up really enjoying it. That said, I think he thought it was going to be a side dish, and was left wondering where the rest of his dinner was π I forgot to pick up the mint for the dish, so I threw in some parsley (mostly for color, this isn’t exactly the most visually appealing dish), but I think the mint really would worked better here so be sure to include it, if possible. Shane skipped the potato chips completely on his portion, but I liked the crunch they added so your call there. I’m itching to try other fried rice recipes now so this probably won’t be the last one you see here!
Turkey Fried Rice with Crushed Potato Chips
from Food & Wine, June 2012
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
4 oz ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups leftover (cold) cooked rice
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup plain potato chips, lightly crushed
hot sauce, for serving
Set a large work or nonstick skillet over medium-high to high heat. Let it get very hot, then add the oil, ginger, garlic and lemongrass. Cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds (if you let the garlic go too long, it’ll burn and get bitter). Add the turkey and the salt and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is just cooked through and no longer pink. Create a well in the center of the ground turkey and add the eggs, cooking just until they set into large curds, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until it is heated through and the individual grains are separated, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and let the mixture continue cooking until the sauce is absorbed. Mix in the sesame oil and transfer the fried rice to bowls for serving. Add some of the scallions and mint to each bowl and garnish with the potato chips.
Mmm…this looks delicious! I love fried rice. π
Mmm…this looks delicious! I love fried rice. π
Mmm…this looks delicious! I love fried rice. π
I was a really big fan of this and would love to have it more! That said, I would certainly like to have it as a side dish to go along with some kind of meat, or on its own with a much larger portion π
Looks tasty…and who doesn’t love the fun crunch of potato chips in a dish!
this looks delicious! i love fried rice and I love that you made it with potato chips! so different π i remember the DC episode..I kept trying to stalk them before they’d get to their cooking spot…I tried to figure out which WF they’d be at too haha
This is so creative! I don’t watch Top Chef but I love chopped and love the creativity of this dish. I often wonder how well I would do in a situation like these shows. I can’t wait to try this! PS – I love that you husband comments on every post, that is the sweetest thing! π
this is definitely one of the most unique dishes I’ve seen! gotta love food-blogger husbands who just eat what is served π
Mmm, what a delectable idea for dinner! This looks so delicious, Tracey. Love the slight crunch with the potato chips, too. Very creative!
Love the addition of the potato chips!
Potato chips? Sounds fun. I bet my Chinese lab tech would think that’s crazy. Speaking of she needs to teach me how to make her fried rice. In the meantime I will secretly make this haha.
I love that this is so fast, and I’m curious how all those flavors work together. I love fried rice, though, so I’ll put this on the list to make.
I love Top Chef. Definitely remember him. Not my favorite guy but this recipe looks good. I’ll have to try it.
I looooove fried rice but I’ve never had good luck making it at home. This looks and sounds so good – the potato chips are an interesting twist.
Can’t go wrong with potato chips and fried rice! Very creative. My Hubby loves fried rice so much that he will forgo meat and eat a huge bowl of fried rice.