Chorizo, Corn, and Shishitos are Perfect Partners for Fried Rice

If you're new to fried rice, I suggest reading The Rules for Fried Rice first!

This recipe was a product of a fridge full of various odds and ends, as fried rice recipes often are. It first appeared in my book, The Wok (you can get signed, personalized copies at BookLarder.com), but since then, I’ve taken to making some variation of it every time I find myself with fresh corn and shishitos. I’ve also nearly always got a stick of Spanish chorizo or pepperoni in the fridge, and those three ingredients—shishsitos, corn, and spicy cured pork—go fantastically well together. (Try them on pizza, in salads, or with pasta if you don’t believe me).

First, I sizzle diced chorizo in a wok until it renders its fat. I then remove the chorizo and cook the corn directly in the flavorful fat, letting it char nicely. Unlike many vegetables, corn holds its texture and even intensifies in flavor with deeper cooking. Next, I quickly stir-fry the shishito peppers to maintain their crispness.

Don't have chorizo? No problem! This dish is delicious with ham, bacon, or even without meat. Feel free to substitute green bell peppers for shishitos or skip them. Got an extra half onion? Toss that in instead of scallions. The beauty of this 15-minute recipe is its simplicity, so relax and enjoy the process.

Fried Rice with Chorizo, Corn, and Shishitos

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

What I like about this recipe:

- Sweet corn, shishito peppers, and spicy cured pork are natural partners in crime.

- Using dry rice ensures the grains remain separate, with a nice chewy texture.

- Frying the corn in rendered chorizo fat until it chars intensifies its sweetness and flavor.

Yield: Serves 2 or 3

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Notes: If using fresh rice, rinse the rice well before cooking, and once cooked, transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet set by a breezy window or under a fan for 1 hour before continuing with step 2. Spanish-style raw cured chorizo comes in sticks, like salami or pepperoni. I like Palacios brand, which is available at many online retailers, such as LaTienda.com. Spanish chorizo should not be confused with Mexican-style raw chorizo or other Latin American chorizos.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked white rice (12 ounces/340 g) (see Notes)

Up to a teaspoon of corn starch, if needed

2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut, rice bran, or other neutral oil

3 to 4 ounces (90 to 120 g) Spanish-style raw cured chorizo, skin removed, finely diced (see Notes)

6 ounces (170 g) fresh corn kernels, cut from 1 to 2 ears

2 scallions, sliced, whites and greens reserved separately

12 shishito peppers, thinly sliced, or 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced (about 6 ounces/170 g)

1 teaspoon (5 ml) light soy sauce or shoyu

1 teaspoon (5 ml) roasted sesame oil

Kosher salt

Small handful of chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Steps:

1. If you're using day-old rice, put it in a medium bowl and break it up into individual grains with your hands before you start cooking. If the rice is a little sticky, sprinkle it with some cornstarch and toss it to separate the grains.

2. Heat the wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) of the oil and swirl it around. Add the chorizo and stir-fry it until the fat has come out and the chorizo is crispy around the edges, about 1 minute. Take the chorizo out and put it in a bowl, leaving the fat in the wok.

3. Put the wok back on high heat until it just smokes. Add the corn and cook it, stirring now and then, until it gets some light char marks on a few sides, about 4 minutes. Put it in the bowl with the chorizo.

4. Put the wok back on high heat until it just smokes. Add another 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil and swirl it. Add the white parts of the scallions and the peppers, and stir-fry them until they've softened a little and smell good, about 1 minute. Put them in the bowl with the corn and chorizo.

5. Put the wok back on high heat until it just smokes. Add the rest of the oil (the tablespoon) and swirl it. Add the rice and cook it, stirring and tossing, until it's a light brown, looks toasted, and has a slightly chewy texture, about 3 minutes (see the Notes).

6. Put the corn, chorizo, and pepper mix back into the wok. Add the soy sauce, drizzling it around the edge of the wok so it sizzles right away. Drizzle in the sesame oil and toss everything together. Season with salt and/or MSG and white pepper to taste. Add the green parts of the scallions and the cilantro and toss it all together. Serve it right away.