Fried Rice Recipe

I’m really quite a sucker for fried rice. I mean, of all the things I can order when we order Chinese food and of all the things I could snag off the buffet, fried rice is my favorite. Until I tried and adapted this recipe, however, I was unable to duplicate the taste of restaurant fried rice on my own.

I think this might have stemmed from my fear of putting an egg in it. I thought I was just going to end up with an omelet with bits of rice and carrot. Not so. Give it a try and see…

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup cooked chicken, shrimp or pork, cut into small chunks
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a wok or frying pan over medium heat.
2. Scramble the two eggs and fry in the butter, then set aside.
3. Melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter with the sesame oil in the pan you just cooked the eggs in and saute the onions and carrots until they are tender (about 4 minutes).
4. Add the eggs, rice and meat to the pan and heat for 1 minute.
5. Stir in the soy sauce (you may need more than 1/4 cup, but that’s my starting point) until all the rice is the same color (no obvious white patches).
6. Add the peas and stir until everything is heated.

Tip: You can use freshly cooked rice or allow the rice to cool — your choice. I find it works either way. It seems like it needs more soy sauce when the rice has just been cooked and it turns out a bit more sticky. I prefer it that way, so I never let the rice cool.