Shrimp Fried Rice
Fried rice is a snack dish in China: it is an easy way to use leftover rice. There are many fried rice recipes. They all share two things in common: left over, firm, cold rice, and a very hot wok or skillet to heat the rice evenly through rapid stirring and turning. The secret to successful fried rice is in how you prepare the rice beforehand. If you follow the instructions on a bag of rice sold in an American grocery, you will get sticky, gummy fried rice. See the Notes below for guidance in preparing your rice.
Equipment
- 1 wok or cast iron skillet with deep sides
- 1 plate
- 2 bowls
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- ½ pound raw shrimp (medium or large)
Accessory ingredients
- 3 scallions
- ¼ cup bean sprouts
- 8 water chestnuts (optional)
- 4 eggs
- ½ red onion, small
- caiziyou (roasted rapeseed oil) (substitute canola oil, peanut oil, or sobyean oil)
Seasoning
- 1-2 tsps light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse the shrimp. Then peel and de-vein the shrimp. For larger shrimp, cut them cross-wise into two pieces. Place the pieces in a bowl.
- Add the Shaoxing wine and salt to the shrimp, stir to combine, and set aside.
- Break the eggs into a bowl and beat rapidly.
- Chop the scallions and set aside.
- Dice the red onion and slice the water chestnuts.
Cooking
- Heat the wok or frying pan on high flame. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of oil, swirl to coat the pan, and pour the eggs into the pan.
- As the eggs begin to firm up and bubble, push them to the far side of the pan, or wok, and tilt the pan so that the liquid part of the egg runs off the egg and onto the hot pan. This makes the eggs light and fluffy. Turn the eggs once to finish and pour from the pan to a plate.
- Heat the wok or pan. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil, swirl to coat the pan, and add the shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp until pink and firm, but do not overcook. Transfer the shrimp to the plate with the eggs and clean the wok.
- Heat the wok on high heat. When hot, add 1 tbsp of oil, and stir-fry the water chestnuts, red onion, and bean sprouts rapidly until heated and tender. Transfer the vegetables to the plate with the eggs and shrimp.
- Heat the wok or pan on high heat to very hot. When hot, add 1 tbsp of oil, swirl to coat the pan, and add the rice. Stir and poke the rice rapidly, turning to ensure even heating.
- When the rice begins to pop, add 1 tsp of light soy sauce around the edge of the pan. Stir fry rapidly to combine. If the rice begins to stick, add a little more oil to the pan. Do not drown the rice in oil. use only enough to keep it from sticking.
- Check for taste. If desired, add another tsp of light soy sauce and mix rapidly.
- Add the ingredients from the plate to the rice, and stir-fry rapidly to mix and combine.
- Add the eggs and shrimp and stir-fry for a few seconds to combine.
- Finally, add the scallions, stir fry for a few moments to combine and remove from the heat.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
Notes
- Red onion, water chestnuts, and bean sprouts are optional. They add nutrition, texture, and flavor, but are not required.
- You can substitute other vegetables, or just cook the rice with the egg and shrimp if you prefer. Some people prefer green peas in their fried rice.
- Use a quality light soy sauce. I recommend Zhongba, but Lee Kum Kee is also good. Cantonese-style fried rice does not use any soy sauce during the cooking. So this is optional.
- Light soy sauce is not the same as "low-sodium" soy sauce. Read our article about how soy sauce is made to understand the difference between light and dark soy sauce.
- By letting the eggs firm and bubble in the hot pan and pushing to one side and tilting to run the liquid egg into the pan, the eggs will be very fluffy. If you handle them too much with the spatula, the eggs will be tougher and firm, not fluffy.
- Chef Irene Kuo, in her classic work The Keys to Chinese Cooking, recommends mixing the shrimp with a coating of 1/4 tsp salt, and a mix of 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cornstarch and 2 teaspoons (10 ml) water. This will give the fried shrimp a slightly crunchy texture. I prefer the texture and taste of the shrimp marinated in Shaoxing wine and salt.
Cooking rice for fried rice
For best results, you want a dry, cold, firm rice grain, not a sticky, clumpy, mushy grain when you stir fry. Warm, fresh cooked rice is too moist and soft for a good stir-fry. Remember, this is a way to use leftover rice. When making white rice, use long grain rice and less water than called for on the cooking instructions on the bag.Grace Young's "Classic" Rice
After trying several methods of preparing rice in a saucepan, I have found that the best results come from Grace Young's technique. Young recommends rinsing the rice with cold water several times, until the water runs clear. This washes away extra starch. Starchy rice will be gummy, or sticky. Then she levels the rice in a 1.5 quart saucepan and covers the rice with 1 inch of water. (For 1 1/3 cup rice in a 1.5 quart saucepan, this is about 1 2/3 cup water.)- Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered until craters form in the rice.
- Then cover the saucepan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
- Immediately fluff the rice with a fork.
(Young, Grace. Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories. Simon & Schuster.)Let the rice cool, but not longer than two hours at room temperature. The moist rice will begin to ferment, especially on warm humid days. When the rice is cool to room temperature, refrigerate overnight, or up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 23gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 313mgSodium: 1017mgPotassium: 330mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 535IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 2mg
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