Filipino – Chinese – Italian fried rice

Here’s another fried rice recipe. I call it Filipino-Chinese-Italian fried rice… confused? I prepared it for an impromptu dinner affair with friends. Which kind of explains the strange combination of ingredients–I had to use whatever was available at home. The Filipino ingredient is the diced pig’s heart; the Chinese ingredients are the mushrooms, oyster sauce and sesame seed oil; the Italian ingredient is the pepperoni.

I shouldn’t have worried too much. Everyone said it tasted great.

Ingredients :

5 c. of uncooked rice
1 c. of cooked and diced pig’s heart
1 c. of chopped pepperoni
1 whole garlic, minced
2 onions, chopped
2 c. of frozen mixed vegetables (sweet peas, carrots, corn)
20 g. of dried black chinese mushrooms
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. of oyster sauce
2 tbsp. of sesame seed oil
1/3 c. of cooking oil
salt

How to :

Soak the mushrooms in warm water until soft and expanded. Cut off the stalks and slice the mushrooms caps. Set aside.

Strain the mushroom water with two layers of cheesecloth. Add more water to measure 5 cups.

Wash the rice. Drain well. Cook the rice using mushroom water (1:1 ratio). Cool.

Heat a large heavy skillet or wok. Pour in 1 tbsp. of cooking oil. Heat to smoking point and pour in the beaten eggs. Cook just until set. Remove the eggs and chop coarsely.

Add the remaining cooking oil to the skillet or wok. Heat to smoking point. Add the diced pig’s heart. Cook until the meat browns. Add he garlic, onions and chopped pepperoni. Cook until the pepperoni bits start to brown. Add the frozen vegetables and sliced mushroom caps. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are done. Add the cooked rice to the skillet or wok, breaking up any lumps. Pour in the oyster sauce. Season with salt, starting with 1/2 tsp. Stir everything well. Add the chopped eggs and stir thoroughly. Add more salt, if necessary. About 30 seconds before cooking time is up, drizzle sesame seed oil over the fried rice. Stir a few more times. Serve hot.