Recipe: Chinese Fried Rice

Ah...the quintessential Chinese dish, Fried Rice.  I guess it's almost unimaginable for many Asians to survive on a diet that does not include rice. I remember the many holidays I took as a child. Whether it was London, Cape Town, or Boston, by day 3, my father would be out and about hunting for his rice fix. In many cases, we ended up in Chinatown, and fried rice was usually what we ordered as it was fast, easy to consume and safe. "Hallo, hallo, you want fly lice?" Although I myself have had one plate too many of the dish (think every wedding or banquet dinner!)  to the point that I don't usually make this at home, there's something to be said about the ease in which this dish comes together and its appeal as a one pot meal. It's also a great way to get rid of excess quantities of vegetables or meat that you may have stocked in your fridge which are in themselves,  too small for a full dish. You can vary the ingredients according to what you have available.

I've had numerous goes at fried rice and it's one of those things that can turn out to be either gobsmackingly good or a blooming disaster. At its best, it's really yummy, with the slight charred taste from the wok, and the ingredients coming together beautifully. At its worst, it can be soggy, tasteless and begging to be binned.  Here are some tips that I've picked up over time which may will hopefully allow you to avoid the latter scenario:

• Always use cold rice, preferably made the night before. If you need to cook a fresh batch of rice, cook it in the morning, cool it immediately under a fan, before refrigerating.
• Always fluff up the rice with a fork before you proceed. This helps you avoid a situation where the rice sticks together in clumps.
• To avoid the rice sticking to the bottom of your pan, heat the wok first before adding the oil. If it does stick, don't despair. It's not the end of the world. 
• There are two ways to cook the eggs required for this dish. The first is to cook them separately before everything else. The second is to make a well in the center of the wok, crack them in, and incorporate them into the rice. I've done it both ways. However, if you're inexperienced it's much easier to cook them first.
• The wok has to be screaming hot for you to make this dish well. I use an aluminum wok which is great.
• You will be tempted to sprinkle in water to avoid burning the dish. I keep a cup of water on the side and I do sprinkle in some water as I stir fry the vegetables. As a general rule of thumb, water should be used sparingly.
• A good "base" for the dish is dried shrimp, pulverized in your blender, which lends the dish a nice savoury quality. This is optional, but I've learned that by adding this, you can avoid having to use copious amounts of soy sauce later. You may also use fried salted fish.

One of the great things about this dish is you can vary the ingredients according to what you have on hand

Here is my version of Chinese Fried Rice.

Ingredients:

3 cups cold, overnight rice, fluffed up with a fork

1/4 cup dried shrimp, powdered in a spice grinder until fine

1 red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 long beans, diced (substitute french beans if desired)

1 medium carrot, diced

4 pieces sweet baby corn, diced

50-100g good quality ham, diced (substitute luncheon meat or sausages if desired)

100 g chicken meat, cubed  (substitute shrimp if desired)

3 eggs

Seasoning (mixed together)

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)

1/4 tsp sugar

2-3 tbsp oil

1 tsp sesame oil

Spring onion curls, strips of red chilly and coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Marinade chicken or shrimp lightly with salt, pepper and sugar. Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok over medium heat. When hot, crack in eggs, season lightly with salt and pepper, scramble, and dish up. Heat remaining oil, crank up the heat. Add onion, stir fry for about a minute or so until soft, add garlic and dried shrimp. When fragrant, add carrots and ham, and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle in a little water. Add chicken or shrimp, stir briskly, before adding beans and corn. Keep stirring, sprinkling in water to control the heat. When chicken is cooked, add rice and seasoning ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning to taste. When rice has taken on a smoky flavour, add eggs and sesame oil, mix well to incorporate and dish up. Serve immediately, garnished with spring onion curls, strips of red chilly and coriander leaves, if desired.