Adaptable and Delicious Asian Fried Rice

I stole this recipe from someone who stole it from someone else. I love to make fried rice. Any time we have leftover white rice from eating out, this is what we do with it. We sometimes just make it at home with our own white rice, too. I like the longer grained rice (basmati especially). But remember, the rice must be pre-cooked and chilled before you start... that is the secret to great fried rice! I am not sure how exact this recipe is. I have adapted the recipe as we have continued to make the rice. I usually don't use it at all anymore, but make it from memory (and sometimes we ad-lib and create something similar, and yet not exactly the same). Here is the original Fried Rice recipe we started with (my notes in parentheses)...

"Thai Star Thai Fried Rice"

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil (you can use peanut oil also, which I use often)

1 Egg (we like 2 eggs or more - that is my favorite part... and we sometimes just use egg and no other meat)

1 breast of chicken cut into small pieces (can use other meat if you desire, or tofu)

1 tbsp. chopped onion (can also add green onion if you like it in addition or as a substitute)

1 tbsp. chopped tomato (this is distinctly Thai... is not usually found in Chinese Fried Rice. I only use when eating other Thai dishes, and prefer without it, honestly)

1 cup COLD COOKED RICE (if you are in a hurry, cook your rice and throw it in the freezer for a quick cool-down before frying)

1/2 tsp. sugar (other recipes I have call for brown sugar instead of white. I prefer to use PALM SUGAR. Palm sugar is delicious in the rice, and tastes very natural. I add more than a teaspoon, usually... depending on how much rice. Taste as you go and add more if it is not sweet enough.)

Assorted chopped vegetables to taste (can use frozen also - we use different ones depending on what we have, what type of foods we are eating with it, and what we feel like... our usuals are small heads of broccoli, frozen peas, green onions, small slices of celery, slivers of baby carrot cut long ways, etc. When we do Chinese type rice, we add Water Chestnuts and Bean Sprouts... and like I said earlier, when we do Thai, we sometimes add in the tomato chunks, or we pan fry large slices of tomatoes and serve along side rice like the Thai restaurant we love does)

Dash of Pepper

Soy Sauce (I love soy, so I add quite a bit and my rice is somewhat darker than my husband's. He prefers it lighter and less salty. We usually get a nice big metal can of soy as it pours nicely and will make quite a few plates full of fried rice!)

Other Ingredients not listed in this recipe that we like:

dash of Oyster Sauce (use sparingly, but it does add a nice flavor, even though it sounds horrible!)

dash of Fish Sauce (use sparingly, especially if you make a Thai or Vietnamese version of fried rice - they put fish sauce in their version at the restaurants usually)

Clove of Garlic (this actually does make it taste better, but don't use more than 2 cloves - we use about 1)

Thai Kitchen Spicy Thai Chili Sauce (serve on the side if you have someone who loves hot stuff), diced red peppers (if you are a bell pepper lover)

yellow onion instead of white (adds more tang if you like the onion taste in it)

salt (if it lacks something after cooking, you can always try a bit more soy or just some plain ol' salt!)

HEATHER's INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook rice and put in fridge/freezer to cool
heat your oil over medium high in wok or large skillet
scramble your egg/s in the oil until well done (we like ours browned a bit on the edges)
remove egg and throw on your meat - cook until done
throw in your veggies to sear/cook them until they are the desired consistency
add your egg back in
add your rice (add a bit more oil if you need to)
add your soy, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar (whichever kind you chose), pepper, salt, garlic, etc. - as fast as you can get it all in the pan!
keep stirring, taste rice, add more of whatever you think is "missing" from the taste test. :)

Pretty soon, you'll have your own favorite recipe from this recipe base just like we did!

BUT REMEMBER.... THE *SECRET* TO GREAT FRIED RICE: COOK RICE AHEAD OF TIME AND REFRIGERATE UNTIL COLD BEFORE PUTTING INTO FRYING PAN!!! This also came from a Vietnamese co-worker of my husband's. He adds MSG to his rice also, but it is not good for you! MSG is called "sugar" by the Vietnamese according to him. You will get the same effect if you add palm, brown or refined sugar to your rice in a subtle quantity. :) It makes it unbelievably good!

Hope you enjoy!

(original recipe from CopyKat Creations Website @ www.copykat.com)



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