Forbidden Fried Rice

I know Tammy already posted a Fried Rice recipe on our blog but this one was recommended to me by my mom, and doesn't the title just sound like fun! You even use Forbidden rice, and it has lots of delicious things in it like roasted garlic and bacon making it even more of a delicacy. I can't wait to make it again. The recipe is from Food and Wine magazine so they completely deserve all the credit. I am just going to add my own tweaks to it and my mom's insights as well.

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic with the cloves peeled

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 cups black rice

2 cups of water

1/4 lean bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 cup soy sause

salt and pepper

4 scallions, chopped

First you make your garlic. You need to preheat the oven to 350 and place your garlic cloves in foil so you can wrap them up with the vegetable oil. Bake the garlic for about an hour, it depends on the oven. You want the garlic to be soft to the touch and nice and caramelized. Now food and wine says it needs to sit over night, but my mom has decided that that part does not really make a difference.

Next cover the rice with the water and bring it all to a boil. You are going to cook it over LOW heat for about 20 minutes. Remember to keep and eye on it because the rice is done once all the water is absorbed and the rice is just tender, so like al dente pasta. You will take the pot off the stove and let the rice stand for 10 more minutes. The following step is optional since my mom has discovered it doesn't make much of a difference. Food and Wine says you should spread the rice on a baking sheet and then let it cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate over night.

Then cook your bacon. Bacon is one of the simplest meat products to cook because you really just put it in a skillet and let it do its thing. Once it starts to look like it is slightly underdone from the way you like it, that is when you take it off. I know that sounds really weird but it is almost as if the bacon cooks a little bit longer between taking it out and cooling off so that it gets to be just the way you like it. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to take it off and then place the bacon on a paper towel to get off some of the grease.

Pour off the bacon grease. NOT DOWN THE DRAIN! That is bad for the sink. Get a little glass jar you dont need any more to keep the grease in so you can properly dispose of it once it is full. Then add the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add your diced onion and cook over medium heat. Stir the onions every now and then until they are nice and soft, like they are starting to caramelize. Food and Wine says about 6 minutes. In reality it depends on the stove. Then add the bacon, garlic, rice, and stir fry until everything is heated through, which takes a couple minutes. Add in the soy sauce and season with salt and pepper. Toss the scallions on top before serving and it is all done.

Yummy delicious fattening goodness. :D