Thai Olive Rice
A mince that isn't so fine is better. I
thought the chicken mince at O'Connell's (Central Market, Adelaide) was just the right size.
You should be able to find the preserved olives at most Chinese grocery stores. Some brands are saltier than others. I like mine because it's not really salty so I can put in more, much more, olives :D
Normally I get the type with olives and mustard leaf, but the original recipe I got was to use just olives. If you're in Adelaide, I got it at Kim's in Chinatown.
- 300 g chicken or pork mince
- 2 cups cooked calrose rice
- 2-3 pips minced garlic
- 3 heaped tablespoons jarred olives/mustard leaf (to taste)
- toasted pinenuts or cashews
- big bunch of thai basil, leaves plucked and torn up.
- handful of chopped coriander
I used a cast iron wok to fry my rice. Cast iron cookware is entirely awesome. You know in those demonstrations they show for those impossibly delicate omelettes that simply slide off expensive non-stick cookware? Ha. I achieve the same thing with my $14 cast iron wok! Maintenance is a breeze too, definitely easier than it sounds. Nothing ever sticks so I never have to scrub it. It retains heat for longer too so it's lovely to eat straight from it. Also, the rice at the bottom gets crispy. Yum!
- Marinate mince with lots of chinese rice wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce (or fish sauce), sesame oil and white pepper. Over-marination is fine because then you won't have to season rice when you fry it - this minimizes grain
mashing. - Cook rice with a bit less water than normal. Right after cooking leave the cover open and fluff it a bit so more water evaporates and the rice gets drier. You want it looking pretty
much dry so it doesn't go mushy. - Fry garlic in oil till fragrant. Add mince and fry till nicely browned and pretty much cooked. Add rice, then the olives. Toss/mix in. If it's not salty enough try adding in more olives, which are pretty salty, or soy sauce/fish sauce.
- Turn off heat. Toss in nuts, basil and coriander (reserving some). Lightly fold in.
- Garnish with reserved nuts, basil and coriander. Serve direct from pan so the dish stays hot for longer.