Bill Woods is joined by Sarah Boorer, Communications professional & CWA award-winning cook, to look at the world of baked goods, delicious treats and & easy recipes.

This week Sarah cooks Fried Rice   (recipe courtesy recipetineats.com)

Ingredients

Cups Metric
2 tbsp oil
1/2 onion , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , minced
120 g/4 oz bacon, chopped (optional, or use ham)
1 – 1 1/2 cups diced vegetables, frozen or fresh (Note 1)
2 cups (packed) cooked day old white rice (refrigerated or frozen defrosted, Note 2)
3 eggs, whisked
3/4 cup green onions, (shallots / scallions) sliced

SAUCE:
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (sub Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry) (Note 4)
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce (or all purpose) (Note 5)
1 tsp sesame oil , optional
1/4 tsp white pepper

Instructions
Heat oil – Heat about 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a wok or 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over high heat until smoking.
Add onion, garlic and bacon. Cook until bacon is light golden – about 1 1/2 minutes.
Add vegetables (still frozen is fine). Cook for 2 minutes so they defrost and water evaporates.
Add rice and Sauce ingredients. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes until liquid evaporates.
Scramble egg – Shove rice to the side of the wok / skillet. Add 1/2 tbsp oil into the cleared space, shift wok so the heat is centred over the cleared space. Pour in egg then scramble – cook it through properly, don’t “soft scramble”.
Serve – Add green onion then stir the egg into the rice. Remove from heat and serve immediately!

Recipe Notes:
1. Vegetables – I used peas, corn, carrots frozen (no need to thaw). Use 2 cups of any vegetables you want. Dice firm vegetables like carrots. For leafy things like Asian greens, chop the stems into small bite size pieces, and chop the leaves into 2.5cm/1″ pieces (they will wilt).
2. Cold, day old rice – You need day old rice that’s been refrigerated or frozen (then thawed) because the rice grains dry out, making them ideal for fried rice. Sticky freshly cooked rice is no good for fried rice – it makes fried rice gluey. Long grain white rice is best for Chinese fried rice. But any cooked, cold rice will be fine – white or brown.

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