This is the fourth episode of our brand new series “A Basic Chinese Dish,'' where we teach you how to cook classic, simple dishes from China. Because it’s as easy as learning your ABCDs.
You can cook fried rice with just about any ingredients, and making them with eggs is the simplest way. But taking your fried rice to another level requires some tricks.
The choice of rice can make a huge difference: Try cooking it with long-grain rice, a type of rice mostly used in southern China and Southeast Asia. It’s less sticky than short-grain rice and helps fluff up your fried rice.
Adding ingredients like shrimp gives your rice that extra umami as well. And just a splash of Shaoxing wine will enhance the taste of your shrimps.
To make it shine like the fried rice you see in movies, soak the rice with beaten eggs before cooking.
If you’d like to try cooking it at home, we have the recipe here:
Recipe
Cooking oil (We use canola oil)
2 eggs
1 bowl of leftover rice (200g/0.45lb)
12 shrimps
1 scallion
½ teaspoon of grated ginger
A pinch of salt
½ teaspoon of white pepper (for the shrimp)
½ teaspoon of Shaoxing wine (for the shrimp)
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
Cut the back of the peeled shrimp to devein it.
Season the shrimp with salt, white pepper, grated ginger, and Shaoxing wine.
Set the shrimp aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
While waiting for the shrimp to be ready, crack the eggs into a bowl, season with a little salt and beat.
Add in the rice and mix well with the eggs.
Heat up oil and sauté the shrimp.
Set the cooked shrimp aside.
Chop up 1 scallion and sauté.
Add in the egg and rice mixture, and stir fry on medium heat till fluffy and dry.
