Yay Leftovers!

I made, yes, made, a really surprisingly good fried rice last night. It was vegetarian, and I'll try to remember everything I put in for those of you looking for recipes. I could have added more rice, as the season-bits were really prevalent and could have flavored much more bulk. But, anyway,

Garlic Fried Rice:

Approx. 2 cups of cooked rice that has been refrigerated for at least 24 hours (36-48 is better)
1 egg
3-4 spring onions
1/4 white onion
1 medium-large carrot (4-6 baby carrots)
1/8 cup Edamame
1/8 cup Frozen or baby corn
2 pickled porcini peppers
6 or so cloves of pickled Garlic Festival garlic
lightweight cooking oil, about 1/4 cup total.
spices

Onions should be diced fine, no larger than 1/8 in on any given side. The carrot likewise, diced fine, each no larger than a kernel of corn.
If you use baby corn, cut them small, the size of the carrots about. Frozen corn kernels and edamame peas should be thawed under running water, just so they're not hard frozen.
Top and seed the porcinis, cut into strips then cross ways into flats about 1/8 to 1/4 inch per side.
The garlic should have the woody stem nipped off and cut in thin rounds.
It is important to prepare all the vegetables ahead of time and fry them up separately for the best fried rice result.

Heat a wok or large frying pan to a medium high heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom in a thin layer.

Add the egg and scramble it lightly, until just cooked through. Remove the egg and as many egg pieces from the pan onto a hold plate (common occurance, remove the ingredients and set aside for a short time).

In the same pan, without removing any oil or cleaning it out, add a little more oil and the white onion and the white part of the spring onions. Reserve the chive part of the spring onions. Sautee gently until just tender, set aside on the same hold plate.

Add a very little oil (enough to keep the things from sticking, but it should be a very thin layer indeed) and the diced carrots. The carrots will take longer to cook. When they're a little bit over half done (press them with a spoon, they should yeild slightly but still be firm), add the corn, edamame, porcinis and half of the garlic rounds. Sautee until the carrots are cooked through but still firm, do not over-cook.

Add a very little oil again, and sautee the rest of the garlic rounds and the onion chives. Fry for just a few seconds, then add the rice. Break apart the clumps of rice. It should be dry enough to want to seperate by itself, but mix it up and be sure to coat every grain with the oil that has absorbed all the flavors of every ingredient that has already been fried in it. Add salt and spices to taste.

Spices may include cilantro (fresh or dried), cardamom, ginger, chinese 5-spice, guaram mala (I'm sure I'm not spelling that right), or any other flavoring you care for. Don't forget the salt. Most of the flavor is in the oil that you've been cooking in, but you add the pungent spices right at the end. And the salt, you don't want to salt it too early.

Add the remaining set aside ingredients, stir well until everything is incorporated. Refine to taste. Remove from heat and plate in a large bowl or plate.

Additional ingredients might be fried tofu, sauteed mushrooms, or a meat or shellfish layer. Any of these would come toward the end, right after the vegetables, before the rice. There is a vegetable protien product called 'Veat' that slices nicely and fries realisticaly similar to chicken.

Liquid seasoning (soy sauce, teryaki sauce, chili sauce) should be applied just before plating.


Wow, that was longer winded than I intended it to be. You could make almost any fried rice using those techniques, though.