Sunday, February 28, 2010

Yangzhou Fried Rice


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Ten years ago we spent a brief period of time in a loft apartment. It was quite small, but with only three of us and a great deal of planning, it became a manageable, if not luxurious, space. Bob and I had sold our family home and were biding time, waiting for secondary pensions to vest before moving on to Oregon. Our youngest daughter, home following a year in Asia, made her first forays into cooking in that tiny kitchen. Fried rice was her specialty. She and I had discovered Ming Tsai, who was a Food Network star at the time and his style of cooking was perfect for that tiny space. We became wok and cleaver women and began to study, really study, Asian cooking and techniques. Years later in Yangzhou, a city near Shanghai, China I came across a fried rice that would replace the one that we crafted in that loft. No one knows for sure how fried rice became associated with the city Marco Polo once called home. The rice, in different guises, is served throughout China, and Western eyes are drawn to the color of its myriad ingredients. The version I serve is meatless and made with two cups of diced vegetables. If you prefer meat in your rice, substitute one cup of vegetables with a protein you really like. In China, we were served a version that was, most often, made with dried, reconstituted shrimp and fatback or pork belly. It's interesting to note that fried rice was served in the emperor's court, though it was wrapped in egg crepes or lotus leaves. For most of us, however, it will remain a great way to use leftover rice and bits and bobs of previous meals. There are hundreds of ways to make this rice. Here's the one I use for a great meatless meal.

Yangzhou Fried Rice - Yangzhou Chao Fan
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup frozen petite peas, thawed and drained
1/2 cup frozen petite corn, thawed and drained
1/2 cup frozen diced carrots, thawed and drained
1/2 cup frozen edamame, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 cups cooked rice

Directions:
1) Heat a wok over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. When hot, pour in eggs and cook without stirring until lightly set, about 30 seconds. Break up eggs and transfer to a plate.
2) Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to wok set over high heat. Add onion and stir fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant. Add vegetables and stir fry until crisp tender, about 3 minutes.
3) Add sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and sugar to vegetables. Stir in rice and toss to combine. Add eggs and cook until rice is heated through. Serve hot. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Warm Asian-Style Rice Salad - One Perfect Bite
Wild Rice, Celery and Walnut Salad - One Perfect Bite
Sticky Rice and Alms Giving in Luang Prabang - One Perfect Bite

30 comments :

♥ Kathy said...

That looks wonderful!

Chef Aimee said...

I love homemade fried rice! And I also love Ming Tsai...I am glad they still show his cooking shows, along with Martin Yan, on PBS Create!

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

I would have no problem eating this rice! Thanks for the history lesson and the wonderful recipe.

Lia at Petite Little Bee said...

Everything on your blog is so scrumptuous. This looks amazing too. Can't wait to try this rice. Lia

The Muse said...

adore the history and discussion of the food...you bring to the table... :)

my time overseas...was spent eating a lot of rice :)

PeggyR said...

OMG that looks wonderful. Reminds me of what is served at a Japanese steakhouse. While I am tired of the snow, March can still be a nasty month. I've lived in the Cleveland area my entire life, so one should be use to all of it. Thanks for posting on my blog!

♥Sugar♥Plum♥Fairy♥ said...

i love fried rice and if its as good as this ....im all over it...

Cheers and happy day....

Jill's Comfort Zone said...

That looks so good!

CC said...

I also loved Martin and Ming..and I loved their cooking styles and allthe recipes of theirs I tried, were just wonderful. I will have to try this fried rice..rice in any form is one of my husband's favorites. Thank you for the recipe Mary..and even more, thank you so much for the discussion of the food that always precedes the recipe. I enjoy that ever so much..thank you for taking time to do that for us.

Lea Ann said...

I love fried rice. This looks wonderful.

Allie and Pattie said...

Mary, I lOVED this post. Allie will love learning how to make her favorite fried rice at home- thank you!
xoxo Pattie

Trendsetters said...

looks lovely...will try soon..and let u know how it turns out

George Gaston said...

Mary, what a wonderful fried rice recipe. It has to be my second favorite Chinese dish after General Tau's chicken.

I am definitely keeping your recipe handy for my leftover rice. Many thanks...

Boo-Bah AKA Iris said...

This sounds so good. I love fried rice without the meat. I am passing this recipe on to my daughter who recently gave up eating meat.

Iris

Hungry Dog said...

I love fried rice--it is the best thing about making rice--you get to eat it fried and fancied up the next day! Yours looks so pretty and delicious.

noble pig said...

I remember Ming Tsai, seems so long ago. I do love fried rice too and the story with this one.

xinex said...

I love fried rice, Mary. I am going to try this when I get home....Christine

Tracy F . said...

Can't wait to try this! I love fried rice and often eat "meatless" when husband is out of town.

Alea Milham said...

I have never had corn or edamame in fried rice before. I am sure they make wonderful additions.

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

Thanks for the small kitchen story... I am need of those right now. One pot dishes are a necessity.

As usual, great recipe, but i really appreciate the story of the memories

Coleens Recipes said...

This is my all time favorite veggie side dish...scrumptious.

Foodiewife said...

My son was just telling me about this Food Network chef, and I've never heard of him. I'll have to check it out! I love fried rice, and your version is one I'd like to try. It's fast and a great way to eat veggies. Lovely, Mary.

Zurin said...

gorgeous fried rice...a favourite at my home!:)

NKP said...

Yum, that does look delicious.
I have heard great things about Ming Tsai but sadly he was never on Food Network Canada.

tigerfish said...

Awesome! I have done a fried rice recently too!

Katy ~ said...

Fried rice is a huge favorite with me. I could eat a whole pot of this!
Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe.

Laurie said...

Thank you for this recipe.. I'm bookmarking this!

Anna Mullican said...

This is a great fried rice recipe! I love putting edamame in my fried rice!

Claudia said...

Homemade fried rice does not last long in this house. It's my daughter's favorite "snack."

MaryMoh said...

Looks very delicious. I'm adding your link into my fried rice comment section. Thanks very much for your comment.

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