Kimchi Fried Rice with Tuna

A Korean fast-food classic. The ingredients are pantry staples here and if something is missing I can always nip down to a convenience store; they may be tricky to source outside of Korea, however.

1 ½ – 2 cups rice
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp butter
1 can of tuna
⅓ – ½ cup kimchi, chopped into small pieces, plus any reserved liquid
5g (roughly one individual packet) of roasted seaweed, optional
1 egg, fried, optional

Mix rice in a bowl with sesame seeds, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. When seasoning, keep in mind that the kimchi, tuna, and seaweed are also high in salt, and adjust accordingly. The oil should coat each individual grain; this will help with clumps later. If your rice is fresh, then stir a few times while the mixture cools in order to allow the steam to evaporate. On medium-high heat, fry the rice mixture once, moving the grains constantly and breaking up any lumps. Set aside. 김치 볶음밥 evolved as a method to use up soured, leftover kimchi and day(s)-old rice, so while there is no proper technique I do find that tossing the rice in sesame oil, especially when using fresh rice, then pre-frying once, will help you avoid mushy fried rice. It's more work than dumping it all at once into the frying pan, but the more moisture you can extract, the better your result.

The rest comes together quickly. Fry the tuna in butter for thirty seconds, breaking up large chunks, until it starts to soften. Reintroduce the rice mixture in the frying pan, and fry for two minutes longer. Add the kimchi, distributing evenly throughout the mixture. If you like a stronger kimchi flavor, add some of the pickling liquid as well. Stirring constantly, fry until the kimchi is cooked, or longer, until the rice forms a toasted crust (as I prefer it, see above), roughly five minutes—according to your preference. At the last, crumble in some seaweed; it will wilt immediately from the residual moisture in the mixture. Turn off the heat, and plate.

In the pan, I like also to fry an egg; there's enough leftover heat to cook the white but not the yolk, which adds a lovely rich contrast to the salty, umami flavors of the fried rice.