Golden Fried Rice with Asparagus and XO Sauce

Cut off the tips of the asparagus and slice the remainder of the stalks into rounds. In a medium pot of boiling salted water, blanch the tips and sliced stalks separately until bright green and crisp-tender, about 30 seconds each. Drain and rinse under cold running water; pat dry and set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss rice with egg yolks, breaking up the rice with your hands to separate and coat each and every grain. 

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and onion and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the rice, gently mixing and pressing into the pan until the egg yolks are cooked though and the rice grains are fully separated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add asparagus stalks, garlic, and scallions. Stir in salt and sugar.

Briefly beat the egg whites, push the cooked rice mixture to the side of the skillet, and add the egg whites to the pan. Stir-fry until whites are cooked and scrambled, about 1 minute. Mix the cooked egg whites into the rice in the pan. Add XO sauce and stir-fry until incorporated and fragrant, about 1 minute more. Serve golden fried rice topped with asparagus tips and more XO sauce, if desired.