Beni Shoga Fried Rice

Warm the frozen rice in the microwave. Warmed rice separates more easily than using cold rice as is. If cooking fresh rice, use slightly less water for a firmer texture, which separates more easily.

Use about one stalk's worth of the white part of the scallion and mince it using the accordion-cut method. First make diagonal slits, flip it over and make slits in the same direction on the other side, then slice from the end.

Cut 3 slices of ham fairly fine. The ingredients are easier to eat when they aren't too different in size from the rice grains.

Blot off excess moisture from about 10g of beni shoga and cut it coarsely. If you want it as an accent, you barely need to cut it, but cutting it coarsely spreads the flavor through the whole fried rice.

Crack the egg and beat it lightly. Things get busy once you start cooking fried rice, so finish all the prep you can beforehand.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of lard in the pan — more than you'd think. Over medium heat, quickly stir-fry the scallion and ham first to make a light scallion oil.

Once it becomes fragrant, clear a space in the center, raise the heat, and pour in the beaten egg. When the egg is about half set, add the warmed rice.

Flip it over right away and break up the rice, tapping the clumps lightly with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Do not press or crush it. Once it's loosened up somewhat, spread it across the whole pan and stir-fry as if searing it. Flip before the rice burns and repeat this over medium heat until the grains are separate and fluffy.

Once the grains have separated somewhat, add the beni shoga and sakura shrimp and mix. Stir-frying the beni shoga in rather than adding it at the end brings out its nice ginger aroma and mellows the acidity so it blends into the dish.

Season with 2 pinches of salt and a little pepper. Add Ajinomoto or leave it out, as you prefer. With plenty of ingredients providing enough umami, the seasoning can be simple.

Once the seasoning is set, drizzle about half a tablespoon of sake over the spots where the rice is clumping. This keeps it from drying out and getting crumbly from over-frying, and gives it a moist texture.

To finish, drizzle half a tablespoon of soy sauce around the edge of the pan to give it the fragrant aroma of seared soy sauce, then add about half a tablespoon of sesame oil as a finishing oil. Stir quickly to blend the flavors throughout and it's done.