I’ve been making fried rice for several years, and it’s gotten a lot better since I started. Here are my tips for a delicious fried rice.
1. Use a Wok: The high edges of a wok make vigorous stirring easier and reducing spillage.
2. High Heat: In Asian kitchens, chefs use special high-heat burners for cooking, so use the maximum heat on your home stove.
3. Lots of Butter: Butter gives a better flavor than oil, as well as keeping the wok greased. Add butter before most ingredients and more whenever you feel like it.
4. Salt at Every Step: Salt affects the way things cook and the way we taste them. Salt or marinate your protein ahead of time, and add salt each vegetable as you add it to the wok.
5. Cooking Order is Crucial:
- Protein: Cook proteins like chicken, tofu, or shrimp first. Salt or marinate them beforehand. Once cooked, set aside on paper towels.
- Vegetables: Cook mushrooms first if using so that other vegetables don’t soak up the liquid they release.
- Rice: When vegetables are ready, mix the protein back in, followed by the rice. Constant stirring is important here to prevent sticking.
- Eggs: Make space in the wok and cook the eggs, then mix with the rest. Some of the liquid egg will get in the rice; this is fine and will add a nice richness throughout the dish.
- Condiments: Just before turning off the heat, add any liquid condiments (I use soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili-garlic paste, and sesame oil). This will let the liquid cook off without applying enough heat to damage the flavors.