Salmon Fried Rice with Broccoli
December 28, 2011
One of my go-to meals around the house is a simple combination of salmon, rice, and broccoli. It’s a go-to meal for me, but Santa Maria tends to think of it as a go-away meal—she doesn’t like it. She can’t argue with it though, because it’s perfectly healthy, and if one is hungry enough, perfectly tasty.
Still, I see her point, and for months, if not years, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make the salmon taste better. I tried making sauces with ginger and rice wine, ginger and red wine, ginger and soy sauce, garlic and rice wine, garlic and red wine, garlic and soy sauce. Nothing ever worked, and more often than not I would have to throw the sauce in the garbage and give up.
Tonight, though, I nailed it. I was home late from work, and Santa Maria had already cooked a piece of salmon and steamed some broccoli. That morning, I had made a pot of rice, so that was ready, too.
I wasn’t really in the mood for cold salmon, cold broccoli, and cold rice, and I cast aside my past experiences, didn’t consider the failures that had graced the frying pan recently, and started thinking.
Fried rice with ginger and garlic came to mind. A chili pepper would be a nice touch. And a bit of egg could bind things together. The broccoli and the salmon, broken into pieces, would warm in the pan with the rice. As I cooked, it looked and smelled promising. I finished the dish with a splash of white-wine vinegar, and I knew I was on to something. It tasted just great, and I’m sure I’ll be making it again soon.
Fried Rice with Salmon and Broccoli
- A few florets of broccoli, steamed
- A quarter of half pound fillet of salmon, pan fried or steamed until cooked, crumbled into small pieces
- 1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
- A piece of ginger, about a half-inch long, peeled and minced
- 1 chili pepper
- A cup or so of rice, already cooked
- An egg, slightly beaten
- Canola, or other vegetable oil
- White wine vinegar
In a large frying pan on high heat, sauté the minced garlic and ginger for a few minutes in the canola oil, until it is fragrant.
Add the rice and keep stirring with a spatula
Add the salmon and the broccoli
Add the egg, and keep stirring
Keep it on the heat until the egg is cooked
Finish with a splash of white-wine vinegar