I have no idea how this specific version ended up being the best fried rice I’ve ever made. It’s literally just cleaning out the bits and bobs of vegetables I collect in my freezer.
I wrote it down because I might be lucky again and get it right, but if you choose to make this, my estimates of liquids especially could be wildly off. Adjust to your taste. I have cute little bottles for cooking oils and squeeze bottles for liquid seasonings, and I just make squiggles in the pan so it looks attractive to me for the two seconds it exists before meeting other food.
I do use a specific flat bottom wok/pan. (Not an affiliate link because I do not have the patience to do that kind of fiddly stuff.) I use the 12 inch version without long handles because I have a terrible kitchen with poor storage options, and pans with long handles waste too much space. It’s this one, it’s induction friendly, cleans well, dishwasher doesn’t bother it, hasn’t chipped, and it’s ceramic, not teflon or whatever. Wood paddles/spoons, or a silicone spoon. But also, it’s not the pan, I’ve been using that one for a couple years now. It’s a good pan, but it’s not magic.
I started with the Serious Eats Fried Rice framework years ago, mostly memorized it and started doing variations on a theme. Tonight’s happened to work really well.
Other animal proteins should work fine, but will change the flavor a bit. Try to stay under 10-12 ounces for 4 servings. Meat in fried rice is seasoning, not feature. Tofu should work fine, but definitely firm, and probably should be marinated a bit if not using a leftover. Egg can be left out and probably should not be substituted. Vegan egg sub doesn’t seem to scramble quite as well, but if you like it, feel free.
This time I used leftover Basmati because we had curry last week, and curry plays less well with medium grain rice than it does with Basmati. To prevent bacillus cereus, leftover rice goes into a zip bag, gets flattened and goes directly into the freezer as soon as the meal is finished. This is true for both the medium grained rice and the Basmati we use.
Some of my grocery stores carry bean sprouts, some don’t, and they’re not always available. When I see them for sale, I grab a bag, and if I don’t use them fresh within 48 hours, I toss it in the freezer. If you’re cooking them, fresh or frozen does not make a texture difference at all. I know it’s possible for other people to grow your own mung/soy bean sprouts at home, but not for this short-attention-span cook. (And it’s really hard to get long, straight ones at home, too.)
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small boneless skinless chicken thighs. Costco frozen by preference.
1 small onion or a large shallot
Bean sprouts, frozen or fresh, about 1/3 of an 8 oz bag
1 can water chestnuts
Toasted sesame oil
vegetable oil
soy sauce (Pearl River around here, sometimes half and half with a low sodium Kikkoman)
Shaoxing wine (A good version; the red label 1 liter glass bottle at most good Asian grocers is perfectly fine; I am using Soeos right now.)
oyster sauce (This household prefers Maekruna)
Frozen rice (last week’s long-grain basmati leftovers that went into the freezer) about 1.5 cups
Frozen mixed peas and carrots, about a half bag
A handful of frozen shelled edamame (Target calls them Mukimame and carries them with the other frozen vegetables)
2 eggs
Salt
White pepper
Frozen green onions
1. Quick defrost 2 large or 3 small chicken thighs in the microwave. They should still be semi-solid with icy bits, but soft enough to cut easily. Dice small (1 cm) and place in flat bottomed wok with 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
2. Dice a small onion or a large shallot very fine, add to chicken.
3. Turn heat to 7.5 and stir fry. (Medium high)
4. Drizzle ~ 1 tablespoon of soy sauce on chicken and onion, let it continue to stir fry and dry.
5. Add about 1/3 bag of frozen bean sprouts to the pan, let it continue to defrost and dry.
6. Drain a can of water chestnuts, dice fine, add to chicken mixture.
7. Stir fry until the mixture is dry. Remove contents of pan to clean bowl.
8. In the same wok, add another tablespoon each of sesame oil and vegetable oil.
9. Turn the heat to 8.5
10. Add 1.5 cups of frozen rice to the hot pan. It’s fine if it’s in chunks. Break it up as it defrosts, stirring and not letting anything stick to the bottom of the pan much. Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wing for wok flavor, and 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and oyster sauce to flavor the rice and help it defrost.
11. When the rice is uniformly brown and not clumped in frozen chunks, drop in half a bag of frozen mixed peas and carrots, and a solid handful of frozen, shelled green soybeans. Continue to stir and let everything cook.
12. Add the chicken mixture back in, toss to distribute.
13. Shove most of the rice to one side of the pan and Crack 2 eggs into the clear section. Scramble with the spoon and let them start to set. Distribute the egg fragments through the rice mixture.
14. Sprinkle in some frozen green onions, 2 grinds of salt, 4 grinds of white pepper. Turn off heat, feed cats, push button, serve.
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