Fried Rice

I am going to Yosemite for the weekend and next Wednesday will be gone for another week so now I am busily trying to eat down the refrigerator.  Last night was fried rice; a fast easy dinner that uses up whatever you have around.  As long as two of those things are rice and eggs.  I always have eggs and conveniently also had half a carton of basmati rice from takeaway Indian last weekend. 

I try and get my fried rice to be flat, like a crepe or pancake.  I don’t want a pile of scrambled eggs with rice but that is just personal preference.  It doesn’t always work out quite like that but it’s a goal I aspire to with every pan of rice and eggs.

Here's the recipe:

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 clove garlic – chopped fine
1-2 tsp ginger – grated on microplane

½ cup cooked corn

1 cup leftover rice
2 eggs – scrambled in a bowl

Heat sesame oil in your favorite egg cooking pan over medium heat; add garlic and ginger.  I slice the end off of a branch of ginger and then peel about ¼ inch of the sides then grate that bare end right over the pan.  Allow this to cook together for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Until you can smell the garlic and ginger warming.

At this point add your vegetables.  If raw, cook until desired doneness.

Add rice and using a spatula spread it so that the rice covers the bottom of your pan.  Allow that to cook for about 5 minutes.  My goal is to get that nice and crispy and sticking together. 

Meanwhile scramble the eggs with a fork in a bowl.  Once the rice is nice and crispy pour the egg over the top.  Using the spatula spread the egg around so it covers all the rice.  Cook until the eggs are set.  If the rice formed a nice pancake you should be able to flip in one piece.  I usally end up flipping in 2-3 uneven pieces. 

Sprinkle with soy sauce and devour.

The eggs and rice are your base, you can add whatever you like to make your version.

The sesame oil can be replaced with other oils such as peanut, grapeseed, or olive oil.  You can also use butter. 

The vegetable can be any vegetable.  I wasn’t sure of the corn would work with the dish but it was delicious.  Other good ones are peas, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, green beans.  Whatever you have leftover in your refrigerator and if no leftovers shake some frozen peas out of the freezer and toss those in. 

I don't usually include meat but if you have leftover chicken or ham or pork chops go ahead and dice them and include when you add the vegetable.