Frying leftover rice is a great way to get a delicious meal in 10 minutes.
There are many different eastern ways of doing this, but here I'm trying
to find what works in a western kitchen.
Quick Prep
We won't have time to look for things while cooking fried rice.
It's important to prep everything in advance.
> Get dark soy sauce.
All soy sauce looks dark, but "dark soy sauce" is a separate thing.
I've been told that "Lee Kum Kee" is a good brand. Other brands
(maybe Japanese ones?) might have a different definition of dark..
or something else idk really. Tl;dr: get this
from amazon.
> Get the right pan.
You want something that handles heat (some non-stick pans don't)
and is roomy enough to allow you to stir the rice. There are many
variations on fried rice, but most traditional ones will use a wok.
Not sure if you'll get all the benefit of a work if you don't also
have a wok stove, wok burner, and mad wok skills. Use what you know.
I used a cast iron skillet. It was deep enough to allow me to move
the rice around without spilling, but it took a while to heat up.
Maybe a stainless steel skillet could work too.
> Get a tool for stirring.
You'll need to scoop rice, stir it, and break up any chunks. A spatula
works well for me.
> Choose a cooking oil.
We're cooking at high temperature and different oils react differently
to it. Some will lose more flavor, some will smoke earler, etc. Some
internet people claim cooking above the smoke point is unhealthy, but
there's little evidence. I personally prefer sesame oil because I like
how it tastes with fried eggs. I get sesame oil from amazon.
> Get cold boiled rice.
It's important for the rice to be cold. I don't know why yet. Maybe it
just needs to be dry.
> Separate the grains
or the rice will stick later.
First use your hands to do this. When you're done, add a good splash
of oil and mix with a chopstick. This helps prevent sticking too.
> Whisk eggs in a bowl
> Chop green onion
Cooking
Cook eggs
> Heat a good amount of oil
> Add eggs
> Cook until 70% done
Cook rice
> Add the rice and mix
> Turn the heat to high
> Add a splash of soy sauce and mix it
(it should sizzle)
> Cook until rice gets toasted
(it should brown a little bit and smell really good)
> Turn off the heat
Season
> Add green onion
> Add salt, pepper
