I concocted this tasty fusion of Asian / American tastes while anchored last summer in the wilds of Waiatt Bay on Quadra Island. It was a gastronomic delight to remember. And… enjoying it in the morning on the aft deck of Great Northern accompanied with a cold glass of sparkling wine formed a perfect and fitting precursor that framed the rest of our experiences that day. In our case, we paddled our kayaks through the Octopus Islands just next door.
Waiatt Bay is a wonderful wilderness anchorage. To the North, a morning view of the entrance to Waiatt Bay on Quadra Island:
To the South, The rest of the bay:
To the Southwest, Great Northern at anchor:
Have you ever ordered eggs and rice at a restaurant, or contemplated making it yourself? Well, why would you? Most restaurants don’t offer it, but when they do, it is typically not very tasty. I have been experimenting with a recipe to turn basmati rice into a fragrant and colorful amalgam. The rice molds quite effectively into a nourishing cradle upon which you lay to rest 1 or 2 heavy cream poached eggs sprinkled with finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Done well, it is a gastronomic delight.
The beauty of this dish is that it is not all that hard to concoct. Did I mention that a sip or two of spirit enhancing bubbly imbibed as the cauldrons bubble… is a highly recommended lubrication sure to enhance your experiential concocting.
On 5/29/24 during a spring cruise on Great Northern, we found ourselves comfortably installed in Reid Harbor, Stuart Island, San Juan Archipelago. It was raining in the morning. Not a steady, drenching deluge, but an intermediate drizzle:
It was not a cold cereal morning, but an excellent time to concoct a nice bowl of flavorful rice topped with eggs. This is how you do it:
What you will need for two:
1. Dry basmati rice 0.25 to 0.3 cups. It is easy to bump up the rice amount for 2 or 3 servings. Just remember the 2:1 liquid to rice ratio. I go for 1 part of rice with 2 parts plus 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid as a nice ratio for a softer textured rice.
2. Liquid. 0.5 cup plus 1 tbsp Water or broth can be used. I always use broth. Whatever I have open. Chicken or beef. It doesn’t really matter but using broth yields tastier rice. Remember that it contains salt so don’t add more to this recipe
3. 1 to 2 teaspoons of Olive oil or a pat of butter to lubricate the pan
4. Spicing and adds for the rice: Soy sauce 1 teaspoonful (tsp)
- Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp
- Pure black (or any other) sesame oil. 3 to 4 drops. (Probably ¼ tsp. I never use a measuring device, because most of the oil will remains in the measure…)
- Garlic powder ½ tsp
- Turmeric ½ tsp (You can skip this, but why? It has a subtle taste and adds color)
- Cayenne Pepper ¼ – ½ tsp (Or you can use Chipotle Chile powder for its smokiness, the tangy , rich flavors of Pasilla Chile powder, or Chile Ancho powder for its mild and subtle fruitiness notes, or… you can skip adding chile flavors… but I recommend against that)
- Mushroom 3 to 4 buttons, finely chopped. Any kind really. The added umami flavors meld nicely into the other seasonings tossed into the concoction)
- Green onion 1 or 2 stalks finely choppedOlive oil: a shy tablespoonful, or butter: a healthy pat
The “How To”:
Grab a 1 quart lidded pot and warm it up on the stove. Add the olive oil or butter, or both. I usually add a bit of both. Let it warm up a bit and add the onion and mushroom. Stir it up and let it settle in and start to soften. This will take just a few minutes. Adding a bit of broth at this point assists caramelization. Add the soy, Worcestershire, sesame oil, garlic powder, turmeric, chile powder of choice, rice and broth. Stir it up, and bring it to a slow boil, just a step above simmer. Place it on a back burner and adjust the temperature so it stays at a slow simmer. You might need to place the pot on a heat diffuser. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
While the rice is hydrating, absorbing and performing transmogrificational magic into a abundantly palatable substrate, the eggs may be prepared. Place a small 6 to 8 inch flying pan on a burner. Add 30mL of heavy cream into the pan. Crack 2 to 4 eggs into a shallow bowl and pour those into the pan. On each egg, sprinkle on a bit of garlic powder, freshly cracked black pepper and a slight dash of cayenne pepper. Toss a teaspoonful of freshly grated cheese on each egg. About now would be a suitable moment to procure a sip of bubbly. Why Knot.
Stir up the rice and check for consistency and doneness. That’s right. Stir it up. It is basmati rice and it doesn’t mind being folded in the least. After 15 minutes it should be unambiguously on its way to epicurean bliss. Nearly there… nearly there.
Turn on the burner supporting the egg pan. A low heat is just fine. A perfect temp is when the cream just begins to emit diminutive bubbles. No more. It will take 4 to 5 minutes to get the eggs to a proper texture: solidifying whites, still jiggly yolks, melted cheese. We want the yolk to remain in a liquid state. In the mean time the rice just keeps a cooking. When the rice and eggs are done to you liking… blop servings of rice into bowls and carefully layer 2 al dente eggs on top of the rice. A final touch: spoon or pour a bit of the warm cream over the eggs so it drizzles down into the rice. Break the jiggly yolks and let its liquescent splendor dribble into the rice as well.
Enjoy.
As we finished our morning rice and egg repast while anchored in Reid Harbor… The drizzle ceased to drip from the clouds, which parted enough for the sun to peek through and light up the bay.
Spring in the San Juans…
Salish Sea Cruising With Blair, Les, Leo, and Bliss 