Fried rice is a staple menu item for any budding home chef. It is also one of the easiest dishes to create in the kitchen. Whether entertaining friends or making dinner for one, properly cooking each component of this dish makes a big difference in perfecting the final product.
Chef Alex Chen’s Three Key Tips for Perfecting Fried Rice:
1. Don’t pick too many ingredients.
Pair a select number of vegetables with a protein to allow each ingredient to not only compliment each other but to shine individually.
2. Prepare your ingredients in the proper sequence for a perfectly cooked dish.
Cook your rice first, let it chill overnight, covered in the fridge. When you are ready to begin preparing the dish start by heating the pan. In the hot pan add oil, and your aromatics, like garlic, onions or ginger. Once fragrant, add in the vegetables along with a beaten egg mix. If you’re using a protein that cooks quickly, like shrimp, add it towards the end, if you’re using chicken, beef or pork, add it in with your vegetables. Once the ingredients in the pan are fully cooked, add in the cooked rice and soy sauce, mixing it all together.
3. Use the right pan — by All-Clad Canada.
Choose a pan with tall sides, like the All-Clad Canada Copper Core Chef’s Pan. High sides and a generous surface area are ideal for sautéing, frying or steaming large amounts of food because they have sufficient space for turning and stirring.
Here’s an example of one combination of flavours my family and I love. Once you master this, you’ll be able to make any variation of fried rice you wish to try!
Cantonese Fried Rice Recipe
Serves two
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Jasmine Rice, chill overnight in the fridge
- ¼ cup Broccolini, cut into bite-size segments
- 2 Eggs, beaten in a bowl, set aside
- 20 Sidestripe Prawns, peeled
- ⅛ cup Green Onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Hon-shimiji Mushroom
- ¼ cup Snow Peas
- ¼ cup Carrots, diced
- Mild Red Fresno Chili, sliced, to taste
- 2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
- Salt and Pepper
Directions
- Prepare rice according to package directions. If you already have cooked rice in the fridge, use that if it’s easier!
- Blanch the broccolini and snow peas by placing them in a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pot and immediately transfer to a bowl of cold water.
- Heat All-Clad Canada Copper Core Chef’s Pan over high heat. Add in oil and wait until a light smoke appears.
- Add in the green onions, mushrooms and carrots. Remember, aromatics like onions go in first, then vegetables.
- Add in your beaten egg mixture, so there’s room in the pan to scramble it, allowing it to take on the flavour of the dish as you make it.
- Stir the eggs with a wooden spoon until they’re no longer runny. The heat should remain high to achieve the flavour of the ‘wok.’ Keep the pan on the stove as much as possible so it does not cool.
- Add in the soy sauce and shrimp. Shrimp is a delicate protein that doesn’t take very long to cook so be sure to add it towards the end. Make sure it’s cooked properly (pink), but that it doesn’t get tough.
- Add in the blanched vegetables. They’re already cooked so adding them towards the end will just heat them through.
- Mix in and season the rice evenly, taste to adjust. Add more salt and pepper if need be or a pinch of sugar to balance. Ensure the rice is a light brown colour, with the sauces evenly distributed across it.
- For some crisp texture and extra colour, garnish with sliced chilli and green onion, optional.
Enjoy!
