Shrimp Fried Rice
One of my favorite thing to eat... (and I'm not alone) is fried rice, and by that I mean... Restaurant style, perfectly made and seasoned, topped with fresh small size shrimps and crispy, cooked just right vegetables. cushioned between layers of sift fried rice and a pillowy egg scramble. It's such a simple dish but one that takes skill to master.
One trick I've learned, is that to make a descent fried rice, you must prepare everything before you step infornt of the stove. That means from cutting the vegetables, shrimps and ham to portioning the liquids and seasonings, to whisking the eggs... everything should be within a hands reach ready togo before you step infront of the stove.
This is our take on how to make shrimp fried rice at home, while trying to recreate that Chinese restaurant staple dish
So Let's do this...
Ingredients:
Note:
This recipe calls for a Wok, though a mid size pot should work just as well.
You'll need
4 Cups Day old, refrigerated Rice
Note:
Check out our 'How to Cook Rice' recipe link here: How to Cook Rice
3 Eggs
1/3 Cup canola Oil.
Fried rice requires quite alot of oil since it is also the Main seasoning vehicle for the entire dish
4 spring onions cut into small size slices
2 cloves garlic minced
1 carrot cut into small cubes
¼ cup green peas
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tsp Sesame oil
Optional
1 Tbsp Chicken stock
1/4 cup (1.75 oz) Chinese or Italian Cured Ham
¼ cup Small peeled shrimp
Roasted peanuts for garnish
Note:
Fried Rice is a flexible dish. You can add/change the veggies, keep it vegetarian or add shrimp, pork, chicken... I like to use Cured ham, Italian or Chinese to flavor the oil and boost the flavors, but you can do without if you choose too, and sub it for a Knor chicken or vegetable cube. Yes! professional kitchens used them too, trust me, I've seen it first hand. What I'm trying to say here is that you can pretty much go wild here and build your own Fried Rice, just follow the steps and you'll be fine.
Step 1
The Prep
Cut the carrot into small size cubes (roughly ¼ inch size).
Susu's Tip:
I like to use a mandoline to first slice the carrot into evenly sized in length pieces, then cut these slices into sticks and then cubes.
Grab 4 scallions and cut into ¼ inch size pieces. Separating the tops from the bottoms. I like to use the bottoms for frying while saving the tops (green parts) for the final stage of seasoning and garnish.
Cut the ham into ¼ size pieces and set aside
Finely chop 2 Garlic cloves and set aside
Step 2
The Wok
Place a wok over high heat then add the oil making sure it is evenly spread
Then start with the garlic, spring onions and then the ham. It is important for us to infuse the oil with as much flavor as there is no other seasoning used in fried rice.
Add the carrots, peas and then adding the shrimp last.
Reduce heat and Sauté for 2-3 minutes until shrimp become opaque.
Remove from heat and transfer content into a side dish or tray.
Return the wok to the stove and add ½ the remaining oil.
Add the egg and cook to a soft scramble
Add the remaining oil and add the rice mixing it well with the egg
Add the shrimp and vegetables and combine.
Add the light soy sauce and stock and continue to toss until absorbed by the fried rice
Remove from the heat and toss with the sesame oil.
Plating
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of the crushed roasted peanuts or keep refrigerated upto 3 days.
Bon Appétit
Link to Video Recipe