Recipe - Fried Rice

[The original post for this recipe was published December 2010] This is going to seem like a cop-out because fried rice is just one of those dishes that could contain just about anything. It's usually something people whip together when they have a lot of day-old rice and a mishmash of vegetables to mix in. I'd say that it becomes quite  a good quick dish when you’re hankering for something but don’t know what to make. Despite all of that, I wanted to share what my own version of fried rice is since I tend to opt for one rendition of it.


I also found out in this time that Duc and I have been dating that fried rice is actually one of his favorite things to eat. He's shown me his version, and (sorry, dear!) I'm not the biggest of fans but I've never made mine for him until recently. Though it wasn't really meant to be a competition, he admitted defeat and has been asking me to make my fried rice again and again. I'll gloat while I can. By the way, I really do encourage you to use rice that is a day or so old so that it has dried a little and won't become an utter mushy mess when you make fried rice.
 
Step 1: Ingredients (yields 8-10 servings)

• 4-6 links Chinese sausage, sliced (number depends on preference)
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup green beans, quartered
• 2 cups mixed vegetables (containing peas, cubed carrots, and corn kernels)
• 6 cups rice, cooked and at least one day old
• 3 Tbsp Chinese oyster sauce
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsps black pepper
• green onions, chopped (optional and for garnish)

Step 2: Prepping the ingredients
Slice Chinese sausage and garlic cloves. Divide green beans into fourths - I had used fresh ones but you might decided to go for the frozen type. In a large pot, fry Chinese sausage and garlic on medium heat until garlic starts to turn a little brown around the edges. Then add vegetables.


Step 3: Mixing
Stir everything together so the vegetables pick up the oils from the sausage. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Then add rice to the pot and break it up until you see it absorbing the oil as well. You want the grains to be covered so the resulting dish is not clumped together. For color and some flavor, mix in oyster sauce next - the rice will turn a golden brown.


Step 4: Finishing
The last step involves the eggs. Remember my comments above about not letting the rice clump together? You'll have to be aware of when you add in the eggs too that you don't have a bunch of chunks of egg. Make sections in your mixture to add about a quarter of the beaten eggs at a time. Pour in while stirring. Only add in the next quarter once the previous one has been incorporated well. You're basically scrambling them once they've clung to grains of rice. Lastly, mix in salt and pepper. Then enjoy!


Photography by Minerva Thai and Duc Duong.