Pastrami Fried Rice

Name: Pastrami Fried Rice
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 4 ounces pastrami, cut into ¼-inch strips; ½ onion, thinly sliced; ½ cup sauerkraut plus 1 tablespoon pickling liquid; 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled ginger; 1 tablespoon sambal oelek; Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper; ½ cup salted, roasted cashews; 2 large eggs, beaten to blend; 3 cups cooked rice (from 1½ cups uncooked), divided; Torn basil leaves (for serving)

By Rick MartinezPhotography by Alex Lau

October 31, 2016

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Alex Lau

This is going to seem like a lot of oil, but you really need it to a) crisp up the rice and b) make it seem like fried rice and not a rice pilaf. To that end, you can’t use freshly cooked (meaning, still warm and moist) rice for this recipe. If you do, it will get gummy in the pan and won’t crisp. Day-old rice is ideal, or you can quickly dry out a just-made batch. Spread rice on a sheet tray and put in a low oven 5–10 minutes. Let air-dry for about 1 hour and up to 5. Seems nitpicky, but worth it! Check out step-by-step photos here.

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