Cooking with Jack: Fried Rice

By Jack Brummet

Fried Rice

4 tbs peanut or other oil (Note: I think Canola has a nasty taste)
6 Chinese sausages, sliced about 1/4" thick (or 1/2 lb. ham, or Chinese BBQ pork)
1 white onion diced (yellow onion is OK)
Salt and pepper
3 or fat cloves garlic, finely minced
3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
5 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias, white and green separated
1 cup fresh (in the summer) or frozen peas
Half cup finely diced carrots
2 or 4 celery sliced thin
A cup or cup and a half of peeled shrimp (raw, or use peeled tiny fresh cooked Oregon shrimp).
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 cups cold cooked long-grain rice (cooled overnight and grains separated by hand or with a utensil).
sesame oil to taste (2-3 teaspoons)
soy (tamari for GF) sauce - to taste, around 4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons of Mirin (optional but good)

Once you make it you'll have a sense of how to make it your own.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet or wok to low heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the beaten eggs.  You want to cook it too much, just firm enough to lift it out of the wok to cool.  You can do them like a pancake or scrambled eggs with large curds,  Put it on a cutting board and chop it into small pieces while your waiting for the heat to rise in the wok.

Crank up the flame.  Add a teaspoon or two of oil and stir fry the sausage for a couple of minutes on high heat.   Put in a bowl on the counter.

Crank the heat up all the way and work fast now.  Add the onions and celery to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until onion is just sweated, stirring all the time.  Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and stir 30 seconds. Add the peas and carrots . Cook until just defrosted (if frozen) but  leave them crisp.  Empty the contents to the bowl of sausage.

Return the pan to the heat and add 3 tablespoons of oil. Get the wok smoking.  Add the rice to the pan and use the wooden spoon to break up any clumps (you should have moistly done this earlier by hand). Season with pepper and stir-fry the rice to coat evenly with oil. Stop stirring, and let the wok go for 30 second increments between tossing and stirring.  Add the mirin if using. Stir the rice again, breaking up any new clumps. Add the sesame oil to taste (at least two teaspoons-1 Tbs. I like a little more).

Add the shrimp if using.  Stir for a minute.  Add soy sauce--about 4 TBS but taste it after 2, you may like it just like that).  Add in the chopped up eggs and contents of the bowl with sausage, herbs, vegies).  Stir and toss.  Add the scallion greens.  Add salt and pepper if it needs a touch more (salt should be good).  Eat with some other stuff.

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