basic fried rice

fried rice is one of those dishes i grew up on as a kid. when my mom was tired from work but needed to whip something up quickly for us kids, she relied on a good ol' wok full of fragrant fried rice stuffed with leftovers and one-off veggies from the fridge.

fried rice is something that you should not be scared to make; it's easy and ideal for handling leftovers like zucchini to shredded chicken and duck. below is a basic recipe that you can add whatever your fridge allows. but stick to 2 or 3 stir-fry items at most (aside from the requisite onion and cilantro) or you'll lose the cohesive quality of the rice. it's supposed to be fried RICE, not a stirfry.

navarro at work asked me for my recipe today so this post is dedicated to her. navarro - may your fried rice come out beautifully tasty! =)

for 4 good-sized servings, prep the following:
2 cups day-old cooked white rice (fresh cooked rice has too much moisture)
1/2 sliced onion
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 red chile, chopped (optional if you like spicy)
1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
1 egg
1-2 cups other ingredients (like chicken, sliced tofu, mushrooms, peas, zucchini, etc. choose 1-2)

in a wok or large non-stick saute pan, heat a couple tablespoons oil on medium-high. (do not skimp on the oil or your rice will stick to the pan. vegetable oil is fine.) when the oil begins to barely smoke, add the garlic and chile and let it fragrant the oil for a minute until light brown. (do not let it burn or your dish will taste bitter!)

add the onion and other ingredients and stir fry until the onions are barely translucent. add the rice and stir to coat in the oil. if the rice is still moist, let it fry a bit longer. make a hole in the middle of the rice and crack the egg directly onto the bottom of the wok. using your spatula or wooden spoon, break up the yolk and let the egg sit until the bottom has barely set, about 30 - 60 seconds. then stir the egg into the rice. the result should be slightly sticky strands of egg running through the rice which will continue to cook with the dish. this helps separate the rice grains and binds the dish at the same time.

in a small bowl, mix 2T soy sauce, 1t sugar, 1t sesame oil, and 1t vinegar. pour onto the rice, add the cilantro and combine. serve immediately with hot sauce on the side.