There are plenty of variations of Fried Rice and contrary to what you see in most Chinese eateries abroad, there really isn’t a fixed recipe or formula for Yangzhou fried rice. The dish itself evolved from putting all your leftovers in the wok to stir fry and violà, you get a really tasty mix of dishes.
For this reason, fried rice is best made with leftover rice, so it’s best to cook the rice before, leave them out for an hour or so before putting the bowl of cooked rice in the fridge to stir fry the next day. This ensures the grain are harder and so that they don’t clump together when you stir fry it together with all the ingredients.
My mum made fried rice often and usually for lunch, with mostly ingredients from last night’s leftovers.
Here’s her recipe, by all means adapt and throw in ingredients you like from leeks to asparagus, smoked tofu for vegetarian options, there are no hard and fast rules to the simple fried rice! Mum also used ‘luncheon meat’ also known more unhealthily as spam which I’ve stopped eating for a while now even though I occassionally miss a fried egg and spam sandwich that comes as a traditional breakfast in Hong Kong and Macau’s cha chaan tengs (local diners).
Cooked by me and styled by the lovely Heidi Leon of AromasySabores. These amateur photos are taken by me on my G11, be sure to check back in soon for Heidi’s professional shots. :)
The table cloth and bowls are vintage and part of my mum’s collection.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of rice (serves 2) cooked the night before and allowed to rest overnight.
- 1 Chinese sausage Lap cheong (optional)
- 200g fresh prawns cooked
- 2-3 tablespoons of soya sauce, add more to taste
- mixed vegetables (the frozen packs of peas, carrots and corn will do)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- corn cooking oil (olive oil is also ok but best to use a more neutral flavoured oil
- 1 sprig of spring onions to garnish
- 3-4 small chilies for condiment and to garnish if u like.
- 2-3 eggs for the omelette to garnish
- Other ideas for ingredients, mushrooms, tuna, BBQ pork, shredded lean chicken, string beans, calamari
Directions:
heat up the wok/pan with corn oil/sunflower seeds oil, add the shallot and garlic, then the chinese sausage and prawns. Once the mix is aromatic, put the cooked rice in and continue to stir fry and mix well. Add the frozen vegetables, and soya sauce. mix well and pour 2 scrambled eggs portion over the rice, be sure to mix well and evenly.
In a separate pan, make an egg omelette with the remaining two eggs. Then slice it into thin strips for garnish. ready to serve!
