Usually at Chinese restaurants you have the option of getting fried rice or white rice as a side. I don't trust people who don't get fried rice.
A lot of people describe fried rice as a pantry cleaning meal but what about a freezer cleaning meal? The other day my freezer door was left open...all day. Note my use of passive voice. The freezer door was left open, so clearly it was the freezer's fault not mine. Last time I checked my cat Niles didn't develop opposable thumbs suddenly to open the door and leave it open. So obviously the blame can only be attributed the freezer itself. My mom uses this literary technique frequently to avoid blame. Her most common usage is "the garage door was left open." I was taught throughout high school and college that passive voice was bad grammar. I don't think it's bad grammar; I think it's a good way to avoid responsibility for doing stupid things.
So low and behold my freezer door was left open all day Saturday and I came home to a puddle of water on the floor. The ice in my ice maker melted into a block and my frozen veggies were soft. Beads of water formed on my packages of ground beef and frozen chicken. To be honest, my freezer is pretty empty so this wasn't a pure panic moment like it would be for any large family. I pretty much solved my problem by making one dish. Shrimp fried rice. I had defrosted shrimp and many bags of frozen peas that needed to be use immediately.
I gloss over recipes in the same manner I read Uncle Tom's Cabin in 8th grade. I basically don't follow them but please, please trust me on the one critical element to making good fried rice. Old rice. You absolutely need that day old rice that has formed together in your fridge into one giant cold rice ball. Trust me, that is what you need. If you use fresh rice you will not get that traditional fried texture of Chinese restaurant fried rice. Don't have day old rice? Make some and flatten it out on a baking sheet and throw it in the freezer for 45 minutes to an hour. That should do the trick!
Ingredients:
4 tbsp sesame oil (divided)
2 egg whites, beaten
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium onion diced
5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
2 cups diced carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen peas
3 cups leftover brown rice
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1. Heat 2 tbsp of sesame oil in a wok or a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp, salt and pepper and cook until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add both eggs into the skillet and cook until light and fluffy, around 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add in onion, scallion whites, carrots, garlic, and peas. Cook until vegetables become soft and onions are translucent. About 5 - 6 minutes.
4. Increase heat to high and add rice. Spread the rice out to cover the bottom of the skillet. Leave to brown for 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and eggs.
5. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and red pepper flakes. Stir to fully combine.
6. Serve with scallion greens and enjoy.
4 tbsp sesame oil (divided)
2 egg whites, beaten
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium onion diced
5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
2 cups diced carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen peas
3 cups leftover brown rice
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1. Heat 2 tbsp of sesame oil in a wok or a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp, salt and pepper and cook until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add both eggs into the skillet and cook until light and fluffy, around 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add in onion, scallion whites, carrots, garlic, and peas. Cook until vegetables become soft and onions are translucent. About 5 - 6 minutes.
4. Increase heat to high and add rice. Spread the rice out to cover the bottom of the skillet. Leave to brown for 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and eggs.
5. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and red pepper flakes. Stir to fully combine.
6. Serve with scallion greens and enjoy.
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