fried rice

P

ProdigalHorn

10,000+ Posts
OK I think I finally got this figured out - how to make fried rice without a steamer. Got steamed rice with my order the last time I had Chinese food, then let it sit in the fridge and dry out, and used that. Stir fried some pork with onions and garlic with soy sauce, then fried the rice with sesame seeds and some salt in butter and peanut oil. Ended up being really good!

Any good techniques or recipes?
 
Scramble some eggs in a bowl and add to your rice mixture just as it is about to finish. It does a good job of holding together, adding flavor and a good finishing touch. Add some spices you may want to the eggs before adding to the rice cooking.
 
You don't, but making the other always ends up being too wet. I Guess I could just use minute rice and then leave it in the refrigerator to dry out.
 
^
^

That's the key. whether you steam, boil, or use a rice cooker, you have to let the rice cool and let off all the steam/moisture trapped inside before frying.
 
I made fried rice for the first time last night and could really have used this thread. It was ok, but it'll be better if I can dry the rice out more next time.
 
If I want to zap up the flavor a little bit I will put my spices in some broth (veggie, chicken, beef, or whatever you are cooking). I add it about 3/4 of the way through the process. It moistens things just right and adds extra flavor it I think it needs it. You can dilute the broth too. Less is more, however.

For a secret ingredient try putting just a bit of Teriyaki sauce in it. Not enough to flavor it but just enough to be detected faintly. Nobody should exclaim that it tastes like Teriyaki. I suggest picking up a bottle of the sauce from Zen here in Austin. It is cheap and very good.

Ha, and it mixes well with Sriracha hot sauce which is another thing you can add to your rice to make it spicy.
 
add some bean sprouts it adds just the right touch, i also like to add some peas for color and texture
 
yup. i add peas too. (easy to have a bag of frozen peas in the freezer.)

I like to throw in shrimp too. usually chop it up into 3/4 inch pieces so there are more in there.
 
Great way to get rid of day-old Chinese food. Last night I stir fried three eggs with garlic, onions, and soy sauce. Warmed two left over boxes of rice in the micorwave with a little water and soy. Mixed the rice in with the eggs. Then threw in the left overs (mostly vegetables) from Kung Pao and Chicken with Black Bean Sauce.

Cooked it all in a big pan for about ten minutes with a little more soy and a pinch of five spice. It's not going to get me on Iron Chef, but it made for good leftovers.
 
Another thing that kicks the flavor up a notch is cooking the rice in chicken broth instead of water (I always cook my rice that way because it makes the flavor better no matter how you're using it) and adding a little sesame oil when you fry it.
 
Another vote for using stock (I like chicken) when making the original rice.

For fried rice it is essential to let it cool first. The best way is to make extra when making a rice dish, let the extra cool in the fridge overnight and then make the fried rice the next day.

Biggest mistake most rookies make is to use too MUCH sesame oil. Less is more and you can always add more if you need too.

I am not much on garnishes but in this case a little sliced green onion is awesome. I add the eggs (2) whisked together like I am making scrammbled eggs about thirth seconds before the dish is complet. Some people add the eggs already scrambled but I like to add them raw right at the end.

Great dish very high on the easy and flavor meter. Great use for leftovers.
 
So any special tricks on cooking the rice the first time? Undercooking? Or does drying it out in the fridge take care of most of the mushiness?

And on the chicken stock, I assume you're using a mix of stock and water rather than pure stock?
 
I don't cook much rice but the stock technique works well with pasta. These starches are going to absorb the flavorings/spices they are cooked in so it's up to individual taste as to how much you water down (or flavor up?) the liquid.

There are some really tasty ideas on this thread. Gotta go try my hand at fried rice....
 
If I have enough I use 100% chicken stock. If not I use the stock I have and add enough H20 to finish the job.

The rice I cook as normal, I usually just cook more the day before when I am making another rice dish and let the extra sit overnight in the fridge which seems to dry it out perfectly. It can even sit there for a couple of days without any harm done.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top