Yang Zhou Fried Rice (扬州炒饭)

Method26 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: The day before frying, rinse the dry rice and drain. Add the measured 2¾ cups cooking water and cook in a rice cooker until done. Loosen the grains, spread into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly at 4°C (40°F) or below, within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C (90°F). Keep refrigerated until the next day.

   Uses 3 cups dry white rice, cooked and chilled the day before · Clean water, as needed for rinsing the dry rice; drain before adding cooking water · 2¾ cups water, for cooking the rice

2. 2

   Step 2: Soak the two Chinese sausages in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain, remove their skins and cut into small cubes. Check the package cooking directions so the selected sausage will be fully cooked during frying.

   Soak the Chinese sausages · 10 minUses 2 pieces Chinese sausage (lup cheong) · Hot water, enough to soak the two Chinese sausages

3. 3

   Step 3: Peel and devein the raw prawns (300 g) without splashing raw seafood around the sink. Keep the edible prawns cold and discard shells and the removed digestive tracts.

   Uses 300 g raw prawns, peeled and deveined for frying

4. 4

   Step 4: Pat the prepared prawns dry and cut into small pieces. Very small prawns may be left whole, as the author suggests.

   Uses Only peeled and deveined edible prawns, excluding discarded shells and tracts

5. 5

   Step 5: Mix the prepared prawns with the marinade sugar (½ tsp), separate 2 tbsp egg white, ½ tsp marinade sesame oil and pinch of marinade salt. Cover and refrigerate until the wok is ready.

   Uses Prepared edible prawns · ½ tsp sugar, for the prawn marinade · 2 tbsp egg white, separately for the prawn marinade · ½ tsp sesame oil, for the prawn marinade · 1 pinch salt, for the prawn marinade

6. 6

   Step 6: Cut the ready cooked char siu (300 g) into small cubes and keep refrigerated until frying.

   Uses 300 g ready cooked char siu (char siew)

7. 7

   Step 7: Beat the three whole eggs with their pinch of salt. Divide the beaten mixture into two equal portions and keep cold until cooking.

   Uses 3 eggs, beaten and divided equally between two cooking stages · 1 pinch salt, for the beaten eggs

8. 8

   Step 8: Rinse and drain the spring onion (1 stalk), then cut into small pieces. Set a little aside for garnish and keep the rest for the final stir-fry.

   Uses 1 stalk spring onion, with a little reserved for garnish · Clean water, as needed for rinsing the spring onion and lettuce

9. 9

   Step 9: Peel the half onion and cut into small cubes. Have the measured chopped garlic (2 tsp) ready before heating the wok.

   Uses ½ yellow onion · 2 tsp chopped garlic

10. 10

    Step 10: Rinse the lettuce leaves, spin dry and refrigerate. For serving, trim some leaves into shallow bowl shapes and shred the remaining edible leaves, as suggested by the author.

    Uses 1 head iceberg lettuce, for serving · Clean water, as needed for rinsing the spring onion and lettuce

11. 11

    Step 11: Take the chilled day-old rice from the refrigerator just before frying and loosen its grains with chopsticks.

    Uses Only cooked chilled rice, excluding discarded rinse water

12. 12

    Step 12: Heat 3 tbsp of the cooking-oil allowance in a wok over medium-high heat.

    Uses 3 tbsp cooking oil for the rice

13. 13

    Step 13: Add the prepared chopped garlic and stir-fry until fragrant without browning it.

    Uses Hot rice-frying oil · Only the measured chopped garlic, excluding prepared onion cubes

14. 14

    Step 14: Add the loosened chilled rice. Toss from the bottom of the wok upward to mix in the garlic and keep it from burning.

    Uses Garlic and rice-frying oil · Loosened cooked chilled rice

15. 15

    Step 15: Break up rice clumps gently with the back of the spatula while tossing. Sprinkle in a little of the optional loosening water only if the rice is hard or lumpy.

    Uses Rice, garlic and rice-frying oil · A little water, only if needed to loosen hard rice during stir-frying

16. 16

    Step 16: Add the ¾–1 tsp rice salt and mix well. Fry for about 10 minutes, tossing until aromatic and hot throughout. Transfer the rice to a clean heat-safe container beside the stove and continue immediately with the remaining wok stages.

    Fry the seasoned rice · 10 minUses Loosened rice mixture · ¾–1 tsp salt, for the rice

17. 17

    Step 17: Add the next 1 tbsp cooking oil to the wok and fry the first half of the beaten egg mixture. Break it into strips with the spatula and cook until fully set. Lift the cooked strips onto a clean plate for the final mix.

    Uses 1 tbsp cooking oil for the first egg portion · First half of the salted beaten egg mixture

18. 18

    Step 18: Add the remaining 1 tbsp cooking oil and the prepared sausage cubes. Fry until aromatic and glossy without burning, completing any package-required cooking before serving.

    Uses Remaining 1 tbsp cooking oil for sausage · Only drained peeled sausage cubes, excluding soaking water and skins · Only any retained wok oil after lifting the egg strips

19. 19

    Step 19: Push the sausage to one side of the wok, away from the strongest heat. Add the prepared onion cubes and fry for 1 minute.

    Fry the onion · 1 minUses Sausage and its frying oil · Only prepared onion cubes, excluding garlic already used

20. 20

    Step 20: Add the marinated prawns with their adhering marinade and mix with the sausage and onion. Stir-fry until the prawns begin turning opaque, then continue immediately with the rice; they finish cooking in the following stages.

    Uses Sausage, onion and pan oil · Only marinated prawns and adhering marinade

21. 21

    Step 21: Return the warm garlic rice to the wok and toss it through the prawn, sausage and onion mixture.

    Uses Partly cooked prawns with sausage, onion and pan juices · Warm garlic-seasoned rice

22. 22

    Step 22: Add the remaining half of the beaten egg mixture and toss constantly from the bottom upward. Return the cooked egg strips and mix them through. Continue until all egg is fully set.

    Uses Hot rice, prawns, sausage and onion · Remaining half of the salted beaten egg mixture · Only cooked egg strips, excluding any unused egg-frying oil

23. 23

    Step 23: Add the light soy sauce (1½ tbsp) and the separate 2 tsp finishing sesame oil. Toss to distribute them evenly.

    Uses Rice mixture with both cooked egg portions · 1½ tbsp light soy sauce · 2 tsp sesame oil, for finishing the fried rice

24. 24

    Step 24: Add the cubed ready cooked char siu and toss until it is hot throughout.

    Uses Seasoned rice, egg, prawns, sausage and onion · Cubed ready cooked char siu

25. 25

    Step 25: Add the prepared spring onion reserved for frying and stir-fry for about 20 seconds. Continue as needed until the whole rice and ready cooked pork mixture is steaming hot to 74°C (165°F), all egg is fully set, and the prawns are pearly opaque and cooked through. Serve promptly.

    Finish with spring onion · 1 minUses Complete fried-rice mixture before spring onion · Only spring onion for frying, excluding the reserved garnish share and rinse water

26. 26

    Step 26: Divide the hot fried rice among six plates with the prepared lettuce bowls and shredded leaves. Garnish with the spring onion set aside earlier and serve immediately.

    Uses Completed hot Yang Zhou fried rice · Only prepared edible lettuce leaves, excluding rinse water and trimmings · Only reserved spring-onion garnish, excluding the stir-fried share and rinse water