This easy shrimp fried rice is restaurant-quality (or better!). Fresh or frozen shrimp are quickly stir-fried with garlic and onions. Add the cooked rice, a couple of eggs, frozen peas, plus my own special Thai sauce, and you have a fried rice recipe that is sure to please everyone, even your kids. A great way to use leftover rice - and leftover roasted chicken can also be added if you have some taking up space in the refrigerator. Add chilli if you like it spicy. Yum!
INGREDIENTS:
SERVES 2
4 cups cooked rice (preferably 1-3 days' old, kept in the refrigerator, OR freshly made - see below)
8-12 medium or 15-20 small shrimp, shell removed (tails can be removed or left on). If frozen, thaw fast in tepid water
optional: up to 1 cup roasted chicken, cut into small pieces
3-4 Tbsp. white cooking wine
1 small cooking onion, minced
3-4 cloves garlic
2 large or 3 small eggs, beaten
1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen peas
optional: 1 tsp. shrimp-flavored chili (a Thai product sold in jars at Asian stores)
STIR-FRY SAUCE FOR RICE:
1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian stores)
1/4 tsp. white pepper (or substitute a pinch of black pepper)
1-2 tsp. chili sauce (such as Nam Prik Pao - see below for recipe link) - omit if cooking for kids
GARNISH: (optional)
2-3 spring onions (scallions), sliced
slices of cucumber (to arrange around the outside of the plate)
PREPARATION:
Fried Rice Cooking Tip: If you are using day-old rice (or older), it will be lumpy and sticking together. To separate it (this makes for a much better fried rice!), place the rice in a large bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil. Now, using your fingers, mix the oil into the rice and separate the clumps, until the rice is separated once again into grains.
If using freshly-cooked rice: There's no need to add anything to the rice, as it should fall apart into individual grains quite easily. Although "old" rice is generally better, I recently made this recipe with fresh rice, and it was still really good.
First, mix all the stir-fry sauce ingredients together in a cup. Set aside for later.
Place a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 Tbsp. oil plus the garlic and onions. Stir-fry 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Add the cooking wine and continue stir-frying another 2 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.
Add the raw shrimp. (If using cooked shrimp, add later - together with the rice). Stir-fry another 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp have turned pink and are nicely plump.
Push shrimp to the side of your wok or frying pan. Add a few tsp. more oil, then the beaten eggs. Quickly fry the eggs (as if you were making scrambled eggs) - about 1 minute.
Note: If you find egg coats the bottom of your wok or frying pan, you can also scramble the eggs in a separate pan and then add them.
Keep the wok or frying pan hot for these last few steps (medium-high to high heat). Add the rice, peas, roasted chicken (if using), and shrimp-flavored chili (if using). Now pour the stir-fry sauce overtop.
Quickly begin "tossing" the rice in the wok/pan, using a shoveling-like motion (lifting from the bottom of the pan). A flat-bottomed spatula or plastic "egg flipper" works well for this (in Thailand, they use wooden "shovels", as pictured here). Continue "stir-frying" in this way for about 3 minutes, or until rice and peas are hot.
Taste-test the rice for salt. Add a little more fish sauce, 1/2 Tbsp. at a time, instead of salt, and continue stir-frying the rice until desired taste is achieved. (If it tastes too salty at any point, add a few squeezes of fresh lime or lemon juice). Remove from heat.
Serve hot straight from the wok/pan. For more formal occasions: Line the outside of a serving platter with cucumber slices. Scoop rice onto the platter, then sprinkle with sliced spring onions (scallions). For those who like it extra spicy, serve with more Nam Prik Pao (Recipe) on the side. Enjoy!
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