How to Make Anything into Fried Rice
Need to do something with that leftover rice? Here are five variations on one of the most satisfying dishes of all time.
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Breakfast fried rice (bacon, maple, and potato edition)
Ambition required: 2/5 You need:- 2tbs bacon fat
- 1/2 cup bacon lardons
- Glaze: mix 2tbs pure maple syrup, 2tsp light soy sauce, 1tbs strong coffee
- 1/2 cup cooked potato, diced
- 1 cup spring onion, sliced
- 1 egg
How to make it
Heat bacon fat in wok on medium heat; add bacon lardons, cook until crispy.
Add potato; cook until crispy and golden.
Add rice and sauce mixture. Cook until lightly toasted.
Add spring onion and lardons; toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
Crack an egg into the rice and mix to coat rice and cook egg.
Garnish with chopped scallions.
Ooh, killem.
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Italian-American fried rice (sausage and peppers)
Ambition required: 3/5 You need:- 2 cups cooked white rice
- Refined high heat olive oil
- 1 cup red and green bell pepper, julienned
- 1 cup onion, julienned
- 1/2 cup spicy Italian sausage, crumbled raw
- 2tsp tomato paste
- Soy sauce
- 1 egg
How to make it
Drizzle oil in wok over high heat. Remove sausage from casing and crumble into wok. Cook until lightly browned.
Add onions and peppers and cook until softened. Add tomato paste, cook until fragrant.
Add rice and soy sauce. Toss in wok on high heat until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and rice is lightly toasted.
Make well in the center, add egg. Toss to combine until egg is cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste.
Optional: Fry another egg and place it on top of the rice.
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Peking duck fried rice
Ambition required: 4/5 You need:- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 4tbs duck fat
- 1 cup diced duck meat
- 1 cup fresh scallion, julienned (plus 2tbs for garnish)
- 2tsp hoisin sauce
- 2tsp light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sliced crispy duck skin
How to make it
Put half the duck fat in wok on high heat. Add duck meat, sauté until lightly browned.
Add 1 cup scallion, toss until softened.
Add rice, hoisin, and soy sauce. Sauté on high heat until toasted and fragrant.
Add crispy duck skin, toss until combined.
Salt and pepper to taste, and hit it with a little more duck fat for good measure.
Plate and garnish with remaining scallion.
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Mediterranean fried rice (a.k.a., crispy couscous with salmon)
Ambition required: 1/5 You need:- Refined high heat olive oil
- 2 cups pearl couscous, cooked
- 3oz skinless salmon filet, cooked and flaked
- 2tsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup bell pepper, julienned
- 1/2 cup onion, julienned
- 2tbs capers, drained and rinsed
- 2tbs chopped dill (optional)
How to make it
Heat oil on high; add vegetables and cooked until softened. Add tomato paste, sauté until fragrant. Finally, added cooked couscous.
Cook until lightly toasted (you want to get the couscous to crisp up a little bit).
Add capers, salmon, and dill.
Toss lightly to combine.
Salt and pepper to taste, and serve with some extra capers on top for good measure.
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Indo-Chinese fried rice (a.k.a. sorta biryani)
Ambition required: 5/5 You need:- 2 cups rice
- 4tb ghee (clarified butter)
- 2tb small diced carrot, blanched
- 2tb sliced green beans, blanched
- 3 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup julienned white onion
- 2tb cooked small potato, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2tsp chopped fresh ginger
- 2tsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1tsp blanched sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/8tsp coriander seeds
- 1/4tsp cumin seeds
- 1/8tsp curry powder
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- Pinch of saffron
How to make it
Add all whole spices, toast until they just begin to become fragrant (don't burn).
Add ghee, warm on medium heat.
Add onion and tomato paste. Sauté until softened and golden. Then add garlic and ginger; sauté 30 seconds.
Add dried spices (saffron and curry powder) and mix.
Turn heat to high. Add potato, carrot, green bean, and tomato. Sauté for one minute. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add rice and toss to combine. Add coconut milk, sauté for one minute.
Optional: Remove rice from wok and add sliced almonds. Toast lightly.
Garnish with the toasted almonds and serve.
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