Try this Sesame Chicken Fried Rice recipe, or contribute your own.
- white pepper
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 6 packed cups chopped kale (~1 large bunch)
- 1-1/2 tablespoons high heat cooking oil like grapeseed or avocado
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (3/4lb) chopped into small pieces
- drizzle gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (dish will
- 1 shallot or 1/2 small onion minced
- 6 garlic cloves pressed or minced
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- 1/4 cup low-sodium gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (dish w
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- scant tablespoon sesame oil
- Carbohydrate 0.742531563091745 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.002139375 g
- Fiber 0.017390625 g
- Protein 0.0771859375591745 g
- Saturated Fat 0.000643125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (14g)
- Sodium 0.308875000236698 mg
- Sugar 0.725140938091745 g
- Trans Fat 9.18750000000003E-05 g
- Calories 19 calories
Step-by-step
- Stir together sauce ingredients in a small bowl then set aside.
- Add rice plus 2-3/4 cup water to a small saucepan then turn heat to high to bring to a boil. Place a lid on top, turn heat down to medium-low, then simmer until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat then let sit covered for 3 minutes. Remove lid, fluff rice, then scoop onto a plate to cool and set aside. Can be done a day ahead of time.
- Fill a large wok 3/4 of the way full with water then bring to a boil. Add kale then simmer until tender but not mushy, 4-5 minutes. Drain then squeeze kale very dry with hands once cool enough to handle. Crumble kale into a bowl then set aside.
- Place wok back over high heat then, making sure there are no droplets of water inside, add oil. Once oil is very hot, add chicken thighs then spread into an even layer and let sear until golden brown on one side, 2 minutes. Add a drizzle of gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce if using,) a dash of white pepper, and shallots then continue to saute until chicken is cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic then saute, stirring constantly, until garlic is very fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute - be very careful not to burn the garlic!
- Add crumbled kale then toss to combine. Add cooked rice then toss to combine. Drizzle in sauce then turn heat off and toss to combine. Scoop into plates then top with toasted sesame seeds and serve.
The Starch Factor
Cooling cooked long-grain white rice on a plate before it hits the wok prevents excess moisture from turning grains into mush. Starch molecules retrograde as rice cools, creating a firmer exterior grain structure that absorbs savory sauces without clumping. Spreading grains thinly accelerates this necessary temperature drop.
Wok Management and Heat Control
High thermal energy is non-negotiable for proper stir-frying. Grapeseed or avocado oil works best here because their smoke points exceed four hundred degrees Fahrenheit, allowing the chicken thighs to develop a deep golden sear in just two minutes. Adding garlic near the end prevents bitter compounds from forming as minced cloves encounter prolonged intense heat.
Integrating Greens and Aromatics
Blanching kale in boiling water prior to wok tossing softens fibrous cell walls while maintaining a vibrant green pigment. Squeezing every drop of residual liquid from the greens stops steam from diluting the tamari and mirin reduction. Simple crisp cucumber slices or pickled radishes provide a refreshing, acidic contrast to the rich sesame finish.
