The Lazy Cook

If, like me, you have always assumed that microwaveable rice had to be microwaved, you may be as surprised as I was to discover that it can be stir-fried. And this has led me to try one of my simplified versions of a recipe I saw in a magazine the other day. There's a bit of prep involved, but it's not messy and you can do it at your leisure. The cooking time is about 10 minutes.


You will need -
A handful of frozen garlic
About 50g of bacon bits (see note)
About the same of spicy sausage (chorizo is best, but you could use salami or kabanos)
A 2 inch or so piece of ginger
Some coriander leaves (fresh is best, but frozen would do, or dried at a pinch)
A handful of spring onions
Thai fish sauce
Soy sauce
Sherry (if you've got it - not essential)
Packet of microwaveable rice (egg-fried for pref.)

Note - supermarkets used to sell bacon offcuts dead cheap, but I haven't seen them recently. You may find "lardons" which are fine for this recipe, but not all that cheap. Alternatively, just cut up a couple or thee rashers into little pieces.

OK - preparation. Put a tablespoon of the fish sauce and a the same quantity of soy (and sherry) into a small bowl with a few of the coriander leaves and put on one side for the flavours to come together while you do the following: Thinly slice your sausage. Peel and slice (or grate) your ginger. Top and tail the spring onions and chop them.

Method - heat a little oil in your wok. Add the garlic and the bacon and cook until not-quite-crispy. Add most of the spring onions, all the ginger and most of the coriander and cook for a minute or two. Add the sausage and cook for another minute or two. Add the rice and the sauce mixture. Cook for a couple or three minutes, then add the remaining spring onions and coriander and serve immediately.

Bon appetit!