Fried rice is one of those things I always love when I go out to eat. I never liked the idea of making at home, I never had the ambition to make it. That all changed a couple months ago when my kids talked me into trying it. Now its a staple, we eat it probably every 10 days or so. My boys love it, absolutely love it. Sometimes we make it as a side but recently we have started to eat it as our main meal.
I scoured the Internet, looking at many different recipes. I have used bits and pieces from many recipes and I’ve created my own. I have tried many variations and probably change it slightly every time I make it. Anyway its made, it always ends up gone. I have learned a few things that make fried rice much better.
First, you want to toast the rice prior to cooking it. I toast it using either sesame oil or butter but olive oil works too. It doesn’t need to toast for long, just long enough to smell the nutty aroma. I usually toast it for about 2-3 minutes. Once toasted, cook as you normally would. When I cook my rice I usually cook it in a vegetable stock versus plain water, I feel this enhances the flavor of the rice.
Once you have cooked the rice you want to chill it. Cold rice is best when making fried rice. I generally cook my rice in the morning, refrigerate it, then use it that evening to make fried rice. You could also cook it the day before and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it. The key is you want it chilled. If your in a pinch for time you can cook it then spread it out on a cookie sheet and refrigerated it for about 30 minutes. While this works, I think it is always better when its has longer to chill.
Next, use butter. Don’t be afraid of the butter. I use butter to sauté my vegetables and then add more when I add the rice. I have tried this recipe with olive oil and it just doesn’t taste the same. There’s a reason when you’re at a hibachi table they use a ton of butter to cook the rice. It adds so much more flavor!
I generally sauté the onions with a little garlic in the butter adding the frozen peas and carrots once the onions are soft. While doing this, in a separate pan, I scramble the eggs and set aside. After a few minutes I add chicken, pre-cooked, the sauté with the vegetables. Once I have all that combined, I push to the side of the pan and add more butter. Melt a bit and then add your chilled rice. I sauté the rice for a bit and then combine the rice, chicken, and vegetables. Once combined, I add the egg, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Once all combined, remove from heat and added any additional soy sauce, to your taste, sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy either on its own or your favorite main dishes. When I don’t add chicken to the fried rice, we will eat this as a side with chicken or steak. My kids devour this each and every time I make it. Its definitely a hit in our house and I hope it becomes one in your too! Enjoy!
–Bri
