Rice for fried rice needs to be a little dry so it doesn’t break up too much when it‘s stir-fried, therefore it’s best to cook it the day before and refrigerate it overnight to firm it up. Don’t feel constrained by the list of ingredients in this recipe … within reason, fried rice is a great way to use up whatever’s in the fridge.
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup green peas
1 stalk celery heart, halved and finely sliced on the diagonal (see notes)
1 carrot, diced
300g green prawns, peeled, deveined, chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 cup bean sprouts, tailed
½ teaspoon grated ginger
3 cups day-old cooked long grain rice
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing (see notes)
1 x 100g piece cooked ham, finely diced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
METHOD:
Heat a little oil in a wok, add egg and swirl to spread it into a thin layer. Cook, without turning, until just set, then remove from the wok and slice into thin strips.
Heat remaining oil, add peas, celery and carrot and cook for 2 minutes, then add prawn, green onion, sprouts and ginger and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until prawn is just opaque.
Stir in rice, soy sauce and Shaoxing and toss to combine well and heat through. Stir through omelette, ham and sesame oil and serve.
NOTES:
Celery heart is the tender, pale green centre from a bunch of celery.
Shaoxing is Chinese rice wine, available from Asian grocery stores.
ALTERNATIVE SPECIES:
Bugs, Crab meat, Marron, Redclaw, Rock Lobsters, Yabby.