China · Cereal and Pasta Dishes
Fried Rice
Day-old cooked rice stir-fried over maximum heat with eggs, vegetables, and soy sauce until every grain is separate, lightly smoky, and coated in sauce.
Ingredients
- cooked long-grain white rice, refrigerated overnight600 g
- eggs3
- vegetable oil3 tbsp
- garlic cloves4
- fresh ginger1 tsp
- scallion stalks4
- frozen peas and carrots150 g
- soy sauce3 tbsp
- oyster sauce1 tbsp
- sesame oil1 tsp
- white pepper0.5 tsp
- salt to taste
Method
- 1Take the refrigerated rice out and break up any clumps with your hands or a fork. The grains must be completely separate and dry before they hit the pan — this is the single most important step. Wet or freshly cooked rice steams instead of frying and turns into a sticky mass.
- 2Heat a wok or the largest, heaviest skillet you have over maximum heat for 2 minutes until it just starts to smoke. Add 1 tbsp oil. Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble them quickly, leaving them slightly underdone. Remove to a plate.
- 3Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil to the wok. Add the garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onion — stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- 4Add the peas and carrots. Stir-fry 1 minute. Then add all the rice in one go, spreading it across the full surface of the wok. Press it down and let it sit untouched for 30–45 seconds — this contact with the hot surface gives the rice its characteristic slightly toasted flavor. Then toss and repeat once or twice.
- 5Drizzle the soy sauce and oyster sauce around the edges of the wok, not directly onto the rice — the sauce hits the hot metal first and caramelizes slightly before mixing in. Toss everything together. Add the scrambled eggs back in and break them into pieces as you stir.
- 6Remove from heat. Add sesame oil, white pepper, and the green parts of the green onion. Toss once more and taste for salt. Serve immediately — fried rice waits for no one.