Chinese Olive Fried Rice

Method29 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Start with 3 cups rice that has already been cooked separately.

   Uses 3 cups ready cooked rice

2. 2

   Step 2: Use firm, separate grains from step 1 rather than freshly cooked rice that is wet or mushy.

   Uses Three cups ready cooked rice

3. 3

   Step 3: If using leftovers for the rice from step 2, use rice that was cooled promptly and stored refrigerated.

   Uses Ready cooked rice with separate grains

4. 4

   Step 4: Set the rice from step 3 aside briefly while preparing the other ingredients; it will be fluffed and warmed before frying.

   Uses Cooked rice for this fried-rice batch

5. 5

   Step 5: Mince the 2–3 garlic cloves and chop the 10–15 sprigs cilantro before heating the wok.

   Uses 2–3 cloves garlic, minced · 10–15 sprigs cilantro, chopped

6. 6

   Step 6: Remove the pits from the 10 Chinese olives.

   Uses 10 Chinese olives

7. 7

   Step 7: Check the olive flesh from step 6 for any remaining pits and discard the pits.

   Uses Pitted Chinese olive flesh

8. 8

   Step 8: Chop all the pitted olive flesh from step 7 into small pieces.

   Uses Checked pitted Chinese olives

9. 9

   Step 9: Fluff the cooked rice from step 4 to separate its grains.

   Uses Cooked rice ready to fluff

10. 10

    Step 10: If the rice from step 9 is cold, warm it in the microwave and fluff it again. It will be heated thoroughly during the stir-fry.

    Uses Fluffed cooked rice

11. 11

    Step 11: If the rice from step 10 is very hot, let it lose its excess steam briefly rather than adding a wet, steaming clump to the wok.

    Uses Warmed, fluffed rice

12. 12

    Step 12: Have the warm rice from step 11, prepared garlic and olives, ground pork and garnish ready before heating the wok.

    Uses Ready warm rice with separate grains

    
13. 13

    Step 13: Put the 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat.

    Uses 3 tbsp vegetable oil

14. 14

    Step 14: Quickly add all the minced garlic from step 5 to the oil from step 13 and stir.

    Uses Wok with heating vegetable oil · All minced 2–3 cloves garlic

15. 15

    Step 15: Add the ½ cup ground pork and all the chopped Chinese olives from step 8 to the garlic pan from step 14.

    Uses Garlic and oil in the wok · ½ cup ground pork · Chopped pitted Chinese olives

    
16. 16

    Step 16: Keep the pan from step 15 hot as the added pork and olives cool it; adjust the heat as needed.

    Uses Pork, olives, garlic and oil in the wok

17. 17

    Step 17: Stir the mixture from step 16, breaking up the ground pork.

    Uses Heating pork-and-olive mixture

    
18. 18

    Step 18: If pork juices collect in the pan from step 17, keep stirring until the excess liquid evaporates.

    Uses Stirred pork-and-olive mixture

19. 19

    Step 19: Continue cooking the mixture from step 18 until the ground pork is fully cooked, reaching 71°C (160°F), and the wok is hot enough for frying rice.

    Uses Pork-and-olive mixture after evaporation

20. 20

    Step 20: Add all the prepared warm rice from step 12 to the fully cooked pork-and-olive mixture from step 19 and stir-fry.

    Uses Fully cooked pork-and-olive mixture · Three cups prepared warm cooked rice

    
21. 21

    Step 21: Gently break up small rice clumps in the pan from step 20 with the back of the spatula so the olives coat the grains.

    Uses Rice with cooked pork and olives in the wok

22. 22

    Step 22: Keep stir-frying the rice from step 21 until it is evenly coated and piping hot. The olives may tint it purplish; if using leftover rice, heat the mixture thoroughly to 74°C (165°F).

    Uses Olive-coated rice and pork

23. 23

    Step 23: Taste the fully heated fried rice from step 22 before adding any more seasoning.

    Uses Fully heated Chinese olive fried rice

24. 24

    Step 24: If the fried rice from step 23 is too salty, add a little additional ready cooked rice and stir-fry until thoroughly hot again.

    Uses Fried rice being adjusted · Additional ready cooked rice, only if the fried rice is too salty

25. 25

    Step 25: If the rice from step 24 needs more saltiness instead, add fish sauce from the optional 1 tsp supply, a little at a time. The olives may already provide enough salt.

    Uses Hot fried rice after any rice adjustment · Fish sauce from the optional 1 tsp supply, only as needed

26. 26

    Step 26: Put the finished fried rice from step 25 on a serving plate.

    Uses Finished Chinese olive fried rice

27. 27

    Step 27: Scatter all the chopped cilantro from step 5 over the plated rice from step 26.

    Uses Plated Chinese olive fried rice · Chopped 10–15 sprigs cilantro

28. 28

    Step 28: If desired, add the lime wedge (1 wedge) and sliced cucumber beside the cilantro-topped rice from step 27.

    Uses Cilantro-topped fried rice · 1 wedge lime, optional for serving · Sliced cucumber, optional for serving

29. 29

    Step 29: Serve the finished plate from step 28 with the separately ready pepper lime fish sauce if you like a hot condiment.

    Uses Finished fried-rice serving plate · Ready pepper lime fish sauce, optional for serving