Salmon Fried Rice

1. Before You Start: Gather all the ingredients. I recommend cooking only 2 servings at a time, especially if you‘re new to making fried rice. The ingredients need space to move around in the wok, and the wok gets heavy to lift and shake if you cook more than 2 servings. For the cooked rice, please note that ¾ cup (150 g, 1 rice cooker cup) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yields 2¼ US cups (330 g) of cooked white rice. See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.

To Make the Salted Salmon

1. If you don‘t have the leftover salted salmon, we‘ll make a simplified version today. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Quickly rinse 1 skin-on salmon fillet under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt on both sides of the salmon fillet and bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 15–20 minutes (cooking time may vary based on the fillet‘s thickness).
2. Discard the skin and break the salmon into small pieces.

To Prepare the Ingredients

1. Chop 1 green onion/scallion into small pieces. Beat 1 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) in a bowl.
2. For your cooked rice, make sure it‘s at room temperature or slightly warmer. If you‘re using frozen cooked rice, defrost it in the microwave. Tip: If your cooked rice is still hot, transfer it to a large bowl or baking sheet (for more surface area). Spread it out and set aside for 60 minutes, uncovered, to remove the moisture.

To Cook the Fried Rice

1. Heat the wok over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add 2 Tbsp neutral oil. When you see white smoke rising from the wok, add the beaten egg. The egg will not stick to the pan as long as you added enough oil.
2. Quickly mix it with a spatula. When it’s 80% cooked, transfer it to a plate.
3. Keep the wok on medium-high heat and add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil.
4. Add the green onions and stir-fry until nicely coated with oil.
5. Add 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice and break up any the chunks of rice with the spatula. Toss the rice in the wok so the grains will fry and mix well with the oil.
6. When the rice is coated with oil, add the shredded salmon and toss the ingredients again.
7. Add the egg back into the wok and break it into small pieces with the spatula.
8. When all the ingredients are well mixed, add 1 tsp soy sauce, ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ⅛ tsp white pepper powder, and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
9. Toss the ingredients in the wok again and mix it all together.

To Serve

1. Fill a rice bowl with the fried rice and invert it onto a plate. Serve immediately.

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for a month.