This is actually lunch from two weeks ago but I've been busy with things like cake class and my real job so I'm posting this a little late.
Fried rice is a great dish to make from leftovers. The first and not pictured step in making fried rice is cooking the rice. I do it ahead of time in my rice maker and toss it in the fridge. When cooking the rice, I prefer to not rinse it as I like making fried rice that is stickier and more like the Japanese variety than the Chinese. It's all a matter of taste.
The next day, break out the wok (or a big skillet) and brown some onion. Everything is better with onion...at least that's what the chewing gum and breath mint companies would have you believe. Set this aside.
Next, brown up some chicken or whatever protein you prefer and then set it aside. Or, skip this step and don't put any in. If you skip proteins, stare at the empty wok a second and ponder what might have been.
This looks like scrambled eggs, and it basically is. The main difference is 3 drops of soy sauce and 3 drops of sesame oil per egg. I use two because I love eggs. Set this aside.
Toss the onions in with the chicken and get it heated up again.
Then toss in your rice and some light soy sauce. This is also where you'd toss in carrot, bean sprouts, green onions, chuzwuzzles, or whatever else floats your boat. Just make it taste like you want it to.
There you have it. Fried rice. No real measuring required. So simple that anyone can do it...unless you're a zombie. I don't want zombies cooking for me. I'd be suspicious of the ingredients.
With the fried rice done, let's make some beef with broccoli to sit beautifully on top, shall we? This is another Cooks Illustrated recipe so I'm being intentionally vague to avoid litigation. If you haven't subscribed yet, what are you waiting for?
Once again, I'm slow with remembering the camera. Take your beef, about a pound or so, and marinate it in soy sauce for an hour or more. Then drain it and toss it in a really hot wok or skillet with a little oil (in my parlance, little means a tablespoon or so) and cook it till just done. Set it aside. Good stir fry is about cooking things quickly and in batches and then bringing it all together when the time is right.
These are frozen broccoli florets as I didn't feel like trimming a head of broccoli myself. If you go this route, make sure the bag says florets on it. It will be a little more expensive than broccoli pieces but you won't get chunks of the tough fibrous stem in the bag. I tossed them in a little more oil then threw in some water and covered the pan so it cooked quickly. Remember, high heat is important. Remove this to a paper towel lined tray.
Now briefly cook up a little red bell pepper. You could use green but the color contrast is nicer with red and they are a little sweeter.
Now we add the aromatics. Minced garlic and ginger.
Finally we bring it all together. Everything back in the pan. It's like a high school reunion for ingredients except no one is divorced or still stuck on the four touchdowns they scored in that homecoming game...
This is also when you'd add sauce. You can go the jar sauce route or make it yourself. Mine had sherry, chicken broth, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and tapioca starch (same deal as cornstarch but more common in asian cuisine. Use interchangeably).
PF Changs, eat your heart out.
L'Chaim!
Ok, you should have done this along time ago. This meal looks soooooooo good. I will have to try. The step by step instructions with photo is excellent...nice job!
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