beXnlog

be's Easy* Fried Rice

1-3 T vegetable oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 scallion, washed and sliced into thin rounds (both white and green parts)
2-3 cups leftover white rice, refrigerated at least 1 night
1-2 cups "stuff"*
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T soy sauce (optional)
1 egg (optional)

For "stuff," you can use whatever bits of vegetables and fake meats you have around. I used baby corn pieces, diced fake ham and frozen peas. Growing up, my mom would use frozen peas and sliced breakfast sausage rounds - a bit unconventional but very Chinese American, no? Some other suggestions: fake chicken pieces, green beans, carrots, chile paste, frozen soybeans (without the pods), fake hot dogs - just use whatever you have around that goes together, dice or slice into rounds.

Heat your wok until hot, then add the oil and swirl around to coat. Add the garlic and scallions, stir for a minute. Add the refrigerated rice and use the back of your spoon/spatula to press the lumps and separate the grains. If it's not strong enough try a potato masher, which worked for me when the rice was once embarrassingly old. If you're using anything frozen, add it at this point and stir the rice around a few minutes to heat it up. (If your rice is really dry, also add a sprinkling of water.) Once the rice is heated but not overcooked, use your spoon to make a little "well" in the rice until you can see the bottom of the wok. Add a little more oil and then add the optional egg. Wait a moment for it to slightly set, then stir it around to make loose scrambled eggs. Incorporate the egg into the rice, then add the remaining "stuff," salt & pepper and soy sauce to taste. Stir and heat through, then serve!

Note you don't have to use the egg, just skip that part and go right to adding the non-frozen "stuff." Also, sometimes i like it without soy sauce, it just depends on how salty the other ingredients already are.

*This is an easy recipe because traditional fried rice is supposed to be made with an egg "crepe," sliced into strips and incorporated into the rice.

posted by beXn @ 12:36 AM