Garlic Fried Rice (Sinangag)

Breakfast in the Philippines is built on sinangag, or cooked rice tossed with garlic and oil.

INGREDIENTS

1. For the garlic oil and chips:
   • 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
   • 1 cup (135 g) garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
   • 4 cups (800 g) freshly cooked jasmine rice, kept hot
   • Kosher salt
2. For serving (optional):
   • 2 to 4 large eggs, fried or sunny-side up

PREPARATION

1. 1. In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Line a plate with paper towels and set it nearby.
   2. Carefully pour the garlic into the hot oil and stir continuously until the garlic is just beginning to lightly brown. Remove the pan from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried garlic onto the paper towel–lined plate; reserve the oil. Set both the garlic and the oil aside while you make the rice. (You can store the garlic chips and oil in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week.)
   3. Fluff the hot rice with a fork and toss it with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the garlic oil and 1/2 cup (40 g) of the fried garlic chips. (You will have leftover oil and chips for more rice; or try them on the pansits and soups.)
   4. Season the rice with salt and serve right away or at room temperature, with the eggs, if desired.

Notes:

You can also make sinangag using rice left over from your meal from the previous day. Just heat the rice in a pan with a tablespoon or two of garlic oil. When the rice is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the garlic and a drizzle of garlic oil.

Add eggs and the sweet Filipino cured meat called tocino or the garlicky sausages called Lucban longanisa for a silog; it’s an excellent breakfast.

Excerpted from I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad (Artisan Books).