Thai Fried Rice

I got the recommendation for Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia from Amira.  I've only been able to try a few recipes from there but they have been quite good.  My favorite so far is the Thai Fried Rice.  Who doesn't love fried rice?  My youngest even told me that this can go on the list of dinners he likes alongside spaghetti and dumpling soup.  Now when I cook rice for dinner I always double the amount of rice so I can have leftovers to make fried rice with the next day.

This recipe only serves 2 (large servings).  You can double the recipe if you have a large wok but don't do any more than that at once.  It's hard to get the rice to fry when the pan is that full.  The recipe is very forgiving.  Add an ingredient, leave one out, it doesn't matter.  And, when using leftover rice it comes together in under 20 minutes.


Thai Fried Rice
Adapted From Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia
serves 2

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger (optional)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1-2 ounces thinly sliced boneless pork or chicken (optional)
2 cups cold cooked rice (I use basmati)
3 green onions white parts sliced thin, greens cut into 1 inch lengths(greens are for garnish)
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 egg, beaten (optional)

Garnish
1/4 cup chipped cilantro
about 8 thin cucumber slices
2 lime wedges

Heat oil in a large wok on high heat.  Add ginger, garlic, and pork or chicken if using.  Cook until the meat changes color completely.  It should only take about a minute.  Add the cold rice breaking it up with wet fingers as you add it.  With your spatula move the rice around the wok and try to make sure that all the rice gets fried.  Add the white parts of the green onions, the fish and soy sauce, and the egg.  Keep stirring.  The egg will cook in small bits and will hardly be noticeable in the finished product.  Alternatively you can fry an egg to serve on top.

Serve the rice garnished with the cilantro, cucumber, lime, and onion greens.

The picture shows a double recipe.  You can double the recipe but it turns out best as a single recipe because the wok won't be overcrowded and the rice will be fried better.