Tales from the Kitchen: Fried Rice

Last night I had some left over rice and couldn’t figure out what to do with it. Eventually, the idea of fried rice came to me. So I thought I would share this recipe with you. With its humble beginnings in China, fried rice is more than just a dish- it’s a story of culinary adaptation and cultural fusion. In its earliest form, it was a simple, pragmatic solution to avoid wasting leftover rice. It is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood or meat.

Ingredients (for 4 - 6 people)

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 2 large eggs, whisked

• 2 medium carrots- peeled, diced and steamed

• 1 small white onion, diced

• 1/2 cup frozen peas

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• Salt and black pepper

• 4 cups of cooked and chilled rice. (I prefer short grain, white rice)

• 3 green onions, finely sliced

• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil

Preparation:
1) Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until butter is melted.

2) Add eggs and cook until the eggs are scrambled. Remove the eggs and transfer them to a separate plate.

3) Add an additional 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan, heat until melted.

4) Then add the carrots, white onion, peas and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes until the carrots and onions are soft.

5) Increase heat to high, add in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and stir until melted.

6) Immediately add the rice, green onion, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir until combined. Continue sautéing for an additional 3 minutes to fry the rice, stirring occasionally.

7) Then add the eggs and stir to combine.

8) Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.

PS: You can add chicken, bay shrimp or bacon to your taste.

Bon Appetit,
Alain Guichard