Western Fried Rice Recipes

SOUTHWESTERN RICE

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute pepper and onion 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute., Stir in rice, spices and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; cook, covered, until heated through.

FRIED RICE RESTAURANT STYLE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, boil carrots in water about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.
• Heat wok over high heat. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.

OMURICE (JAPANESE RICE OMELET)

Steps:

• Make the rice: Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon butter, and then onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent and a little browned at the edges, about 3 minutes. Add ham and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown, about 30 seconds.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and then rice, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or long chopsticks. Adjust heat to medium and cook until the grains are glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in ketchup and soy sauce, and cook, stirring, another 30 seconds or so to caramelize. Stir in peas to heat through, and deglaze the pan with dashi or chicken stock. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To make a perfect mound of rice on each plate, grease a small bowl with canola or safflower oil and pack 1 cup of the rice. Invert this over a plate and remove the bowl. Repeat with the other half of the rice on a second plate.
• Make the omelet: In a small (6- or 7-inch) nonstick skillet (or a well-seasoned carbon steel omelet pan), heat 1/2 teaspoon oil, or just enough to coat the pan, over medium-high. Beat 2 eggs with 1/2 teaspoon dashi or water, until yolks and whites are completely blended. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the egg mixture into the heated pan. Shake and swirl the pan over the heat, stirring constantly with chopsticks or a fork as the eggs cook. When lots of small curds have formed and the eggs are custardy, about 30 seconds, let cook undisturbed until nearly set, about 30 seconds. Run a butter knife or small spatula around the edge of the omelet, and tap the pan firmly against the stove to release the omelet. Turn the omelet out onto the rice, custardy side down. Use a clean dish towel or paper towel to push the edges under the rice.
• Repeat with the other 2 eggs for the second omelet. Dress the omelets with a zigzag of ketchup (or a cute design if you've got a steady hand), and serve.

SOUTHWESTERN FRIED RICE

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, saute the chicken, corn, green pepper and onion in oil until chicken juices run clear. Stir in the broth, salsa, chili powder and cayenne; bring to a boil. Add the rice. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

WESTERN SKILLET RICE

Steps:

• In a medium skillet brown ground beef.
• Stir in onion soup mix, water, rice, tomatoes and peas.
• Simmer about 30 minutes, stir in cheese cubes and continue simmering until they are soft and partially melted.

WESTERN FRIED RICE

Steps:

• To prepare cooked rice, wet your fingers and break it up in the bowl. Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium to high heat. Add some cooking oil in the bottom. Add the egg and fry until easy, soft,cook. Remove from pan and set aside. I usually will cook a very small omelette, and chop it up right before I add it at the end.
• Add a touch more oil. Add onion and peppers and fry until tender.
• Remove onions and peppers to a separate bowl or push to the side, add diced ham and stir fry for about 30 seconds.
• Add oil, add rice and stir fry making sure to constantly chop and move rice around so the grains separate, lumps are what we are fighting people ;-) 'Bout 3-5 minutes depending on the heat.
• When rice is almost done, add the ham, peppers and onion and give it a toss/stir, chop up the egg and add that too. To season remove from heat to avoid overcooking. Add the salt, pepper, sugar and lastly a healthy splash of light soy sauce and a drop of Sesame oil (use a very light hand, too much Sesame oil ruins dishes), Cook for an additional 40 seconds and it's eatin' time!

CHICKEN AND SHRIMP FRIED RICE

Steps:

• Heat up the vegetable oil in a wok or large saucepan.
• Saute the minced garlic until aromatic.
• Add the shrimps, follow by the chicken meat and stir-fry until they are cooked. Remove the shrimps and meat. Leave the remaining oil in the wok.
• Add the cooked rice and stir-fry over low heat until the rice turns aromatic, spluttered and sizzled.
• Beat an egg. Pour the egg over the rice.
• Coat the rice grains with the egg. Continue stir fry until the egg is cooked and no longer sticky.
• Return the shrimps and chicken to the wok. Stir-fry for a minute.
• Add the beans and the light soy sauce. Stir-fry over high heat until the rice becomes dry again.
• Sprinkle the chopped scallion on it and serve.

AUTHENTIC YANGZHOU FRIED RICE (CHAO FAN)

Steps:

• Make sure all of your ingredients are prepared ahead of time. Beat the eggs together in a bowl and add salt to taste. Using your hands or a spoon, break up the refrigerated rice so that most of the individual grains are separated
• Heat up a wok or large pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Swirl around the pan and heat until just smoking. Add the carrots and peas and cook for 1-2 minutes
• Add the shrimp to the wok. Season with a generous amount of salt. Cook for 30 seconds while stirring constantly to ensure the shrimp all get evenly cooked. Remove from heat and pour the peas, carrots, and shrimp into a bowl
• Return the wok to the heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Swirl around to coat the bottom of the wok and heat again until just smoking. Add the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes. Be sure to be stirring and tossing the rice continuously
• Make a hole in the middle of the rice and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Pour the eggs into the hole and cook for 30 seconds while stirring. Mix the egg and rice together and cook while stirring and tossing for another minute until the egg is mostly cooked
• Add the char siu and cook for 1 minute. Add the peas, carrots, and shrimp back to the wok along with the soy sauce and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring and tossing continuously
• Turn off the heat and add the chopped scallions. Mix well and serve warm!