| Posted in other cooking club discussion, but no one visits that place I guess? Cooked Rice (about 1 1/2 cups for an 8 inch pan) Margarine Oil (preferred: Sesame) Soy Sauce (preferred: Kikoman brand) Salt Pepper Garlic Powder Optional: Butter (about 1/2 tsp. for flavor) Eggs Mixed Veggies (preferred: Carrots/Peas/Onion - Frozen) Sesame Seeds Green Onions A good way to prepare rice for frying is when you first steam your rice, add in enough margarine to give a thin layer of coating when it's finished. This not only adds more flavor but also makes it easier to keep it from sticking to the pan or wok. The reason why prefer not to use butter instead is simply the price. Heat should be Medium High. A large wooden spoon is a nice utensil to use since it doesn't scratch up your pan. You can use a spatula but they tend to be messy. Whichever you're comfortable with. Sesame oil is popular in Asian cooking, and gives the rice a little noticable taste. If you are using veggies, add them first but be careful not to burn them. Break up the cooked rice into smaller pieces (if precooked and cold) or stir up to seperate (if freshly cooked.) Big chunks will more likely be stuck to the cooking surface. Flip your rice around to make sure it is coated in the oil. This way all of the rice will cook and shouldn't stick. Use your utensil to lightly flatten out any rice chunks. Season with salt and pepper, and it's okay to add a little more garlic powder than the previous to give it a little more kick. Cut it up with your utensil afterwards. Keep the rice moving constantly in the pan/wok. If you can, toss the rice around by flicking the handle up, otherwise use your utensil to keep it constantly moving. If you choose to use an egg, first push all of the rice to one side of the pan. Crack one egg in the empty clean side of the pan and quickly scramble it as it cooks. It doesn't have to be completely cooked when combined (the residual heat will finish it) but make sure it's not mostly raw. Lower heat to medium low. Add your soy sauce. I prefer Kikoman brand because it tends to stick less to the pan, as well as a less stronger taste in salt so going over a little on sauce is forgiving. This brand has a little alcohol content last I heard, which may be the reason. Don't add a lot though; soy sauce is strong in sodium which may overseason your rice. Add just enough to color the rice a light brown ('paint' your rice, but don't go overboard.) Most mistakes involve drenching all of the rice making it too salty. Use your utensil to flatten and mix as you did before instead of adding more sauce. Optionally, you can add a small square of butter to give it a little more taste. Make sure you don't add too much to where it'd be too oily to even eat, not to mention a potential chance to clog something in your arteries. Turn off heat and serve. A nice topping would be a generous pinch of sesame seeds with a small garnish amount of chopped green onions on top for presentation. This is usually the standard in some Teppenyaki grills you find around your neighborhood. Hopefully you have a serving of white sauce or teriyaki somewhere to enjoy your rice. If I happen to find those recipes again, I'll share them. |