Fried rice

I went speed dating last weekend.  (I didn't feel well, but I was on the branch committee that planned it, so I was obligated to go.)  In one of my three-minute sessions we got talking about food.  I like to cook, so it's a good topic for me.  She asked my favorite food, which I responded was steak, but I never cook it.  Steak is one of those things best done by real experts, and, especially when cooking a great piece of meat over a fire, I really screw it up.

I realized that the things I love to cook the best are those things that I can make better than I can get at a restaurant.  Saturday I discovered that one of those dishes is fried rice.  (If this were a proper food blog, there would be pictures of the fried rice I made Saturday, but it's not, and I didn't take any pictures.)

I've made rice a lot since I got back from Japan and I had some leftover.  Plus, I was on the bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast (BRAT) diet because of the stomach flu.  Saturday afternoon the bananas gave me non-stop gurgly-murglies and totally embarrassed me in the men's room at the Salt Palace.  (The guy in the other stall started cracking up after my symphony.  "Sounds like you ate something really good," he said.  Stall doors closed.  Anonymity protected.  But is this turning into a potty blog?)  So, I knew it was rice on the menu Saturday night.

Fried Rice

Oil (I use Olive)

Garlic

Ginger

Onion

Carrots

Broccoli (other veggies would also good)

Peas

Ham

Soy Sauce

Rice Vinegar

Sesame Oil

Oh, and rice

And eggs.

I had some leftover rice, and only use Calrose.  So heat up the oil.  I use fresh ginger with a fine mesh grater, like you'd use for nutmeg.  Grate that in (I like a lot) along with chopped or minced garlic.  (I don't measure quantities.  If you like garlic and ginger, put it a lot, if not, use a little.)  I had diced the carrots and onions into small pieces, and then put those in.  Stir it around plenty.  It will smell delicious. I usually add a little salt and pepper, but not a lot of salt because the soy sauce later will make it plenty salty. I like to keep both the carrots and onions a little crunchy, so I don't let them go too long while I chop the broccoli into tiny florets and add those.  I add a little soy sauce at this point, which from now on I will call shoyu, because my dad went on a mission to Japan, and that's what we call it.  After cooking that a bit, I like to add the ham so it will have a little crunch and blackness to it from cooking a bit in the hot oil.  Again, it's diced pretty small, like you've seen when you've eaten fried rice before. 

Now for the rice and flavorings.  You may need some more oil at this point so the rice doesn't stick to your pan, so make sure you have enough oil.  Dump in the rice.  Don't dump in more than will fit, that's my guidance.  That's less than you think, because stirring the rice in that skillet or wok is going to make a mess.  Then add more shoyu, the rice vinegar and a little sesame oil.  How much?  Enough shoyu so the rice is brown.  Enough vinegar so it tastes like you want, and not so much sesame oil that it will be all you can taste.  I start with less then I think I'll need, and then add more until it tastes right.

As the rice gets warm, I add frozen peas and stir that around.  Then I scramble a few eggs, stirring them so they break into small, bite-sized pieces, and add those.  Tada!  Saturday I had it with a simple chicken breast in teriyaki sauce (Soy Vey), and tonight I had some leftovers with potstickers.  Delicious both times.  I really feel badly about having no pictures here.  I wasn't thinking ahead.  

Next time.