Fried Rice with Flowers
Fried rice is a Hawaiian staple, and MiJin Kang, owner of nattokimchee corporation in Maui, pretties hers up with flowers—folded into butter for dolloping on the hot rice at the end, to give it a glossy sheen, and also strewn on top. Any mild edible flower can be substituted for the marigolds and nasturtiums.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Mix butter with petals from 2 marigolds and set aside.
Step 2
2
Heat a large frying pan (not nonstick) or wok over high heat. Coat green onions with 1 tbsp. oil, season with salt and pepper, and add to pan. Cook, turning often, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes, then transfer to a plate to cool. Add lime or lemon, cut side down, and cook until charred, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Once green onions cool, slice thinly and set aside. Fluff chilled rice with a fork, breaking up clumps.
Step 3
3
Heat same pan over medium-high heat. Swirl in remaining 2 tbsp. oil. Add ginger, peas, and corn and cook, stirring so ginger doesn’t burn, until vegetables are heated through, 2 minutes. Add green onions and cook 2 minutes more.
Step 4
4
Push vegetables to side of pan, pour in eggs, and scram- ble quickly with a wooden spoon. Once eggs are firmly set, stir into vegetables.
Step 5
5
Add chilled rice and soy sauce and stir-fry, drizzling in a little more oil if rice sticks to pan, until completely heated through. Taste and add salt and pepper if you like. Stir in marigold butter.
Step 6
6
Turn rice into a bowl and add charred citrus half. Sprinkle with remaining marigold petals, along with nasturtium petals and pea shoots.
7
*To chill the rice well, spread on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until very cold and hard (preferably overnight).
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Petals from 3 marigold flowers, divided
9 green onions
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lime or lemon
5 cups cooked medium-grain white rice, thoroughly chilled*
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Petals from 1 nasturtium flower
1 tablespoon baby pea shoots
Directions
Step 1
1
Mix butter with petals from 2 marigolds and set aside.
Step 2
2
Heat a large frying pan (not nonstick) or wok over high heat. Coat green onions with 1 tbsp. oil, season with salt and pepper, and add to pan. Cook, turning often, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes, then transfer to a plate to cool. Add lime or lemon, cut side down, and cook until charred, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Once green onions cool, slice thinly and set aside. Fluff chilled rice with a fork, breaking up clumps.
Step 3
3
Heat same pan over medium-high heat. Swirl in remaining 2 tbsp. oil. Add ginger, peas, and corn and cook, stirring so ginger doesn’t burn, until vegetables are heated through, 2 minutes. Add green onions and cook 2 minutes more.
Step 4
4
Push vegetables to side of pan, pour in eggs, and scram- ble quickly with a wooden spoon. Once eggs are firmly set, stir into vegetables.
Step 5
5
Add chilled rice and soy sauce and stir-fry, drizzling in a little more oil if rice sticks to pan, until completely heated through. Taste and add salt and pepper if you like. Stir in marigold butter.
Step 6
6
Turn rice into a bowl and add charred citrus half. Sprinkle with remaining marigold petals, along with nasturtium petals and pea shoots.
7
*To chill the rice well, spread on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until very cold and hard (preferably overnight).
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