Egg Fried Rice
This simple Chinese side dish combines separate grains of rice with egg and spring onions. Cook and quickly chill the rice first: hot, wet rice is liable to turn mushy when stir-fried.
Another 1 hour - cooling
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Rinse the rice
Pick over the rice and rinse with cold water until it runs almost clear. Put it in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and add the specified 450 ml of water and the salt. This amount is for the absorption method.
Cook the rice
Bring to a boil, cover and cook over the lowest heat for 12–15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes, then gently fluff the rice with a fork.
Cool quickly
Spread the rice in a thin layer in a shallow container. Once the heavy steaming has subsided, put it in the refrigerator and chill for about 60 minutes. Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature for a long time.
Prepare the eggs and onions
Beat the eggs and thinly slice the spring onions, keeping the white and green parts separate. Heat a wide frying pan. Before cooking, use a spatula to break up any large clumps in the cold rice.
Fry the eggs and rice
Use half the oil to scramble the eggs into soft pieces for 1–2 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil and cook the spring onion whites for 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, turning it over as you cook.
Finish and heat through
Return the egg to the pan. Pour the light soy sauce around the hot edge and add the spring onion greens. Stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes. All the rice must reach 74 °C; serve straight away rather than keeping it warm for hours.
Little hint
Chilled rice and a wide pan help keep the grains separate. Break up wet clumps before they go into the pan; otherwise the egg may overcook before the middle of the rice has heated through.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
Chilled rice and a wide pan help keep the grains separate. Break up wet clumps before they go into the pan; otherwise the egg may overcook before the middle of the rice has heated through.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Pick over the rice and rinse with cold water until it runs almost clear. Put it in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and add the specified 450 ml of water and the salt. This amount is for the absorption method.
