Shrimp Fried Rice

Making stir fried rice seems easy.  Well, it is if you know what you are doing.  I have tried for years to make the delicious stir fried rice that I’ve had as take-out.  My rice was gloopy, or sticky, or the flavors came out as a muddled mess.  So I started reading recipes and asking around. 

The secret?  Leftover rice. Refrigerating the rice dries it out a little.  I have found that Jasmine rice works best.  The grains are long and the rice itself isn’t starchy. Another trick is to premeasure the ingredients and cook them separately.

You can add any veggies or cooked meat you might like.  I often toss in defrosted frozen peas with the shrimp at the very end.

Serves: 6-8

Time:   Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 15 minutes
Hardware:  measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, 3 small plates, 2 small bowls, a whisk, a large heavy skillet, tongs, no powder latex gloves

Ingredients:

• 1 pound large shrimp (31-35 count) cleaned
• 3 cups cold, leftover cooked rice
• 3 green onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger 
• 1 large carrot (¼ cup)
• 1 jalapeño (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• Salt & Pepper

                             

·2 tablespoon Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

·12 peeled deveined small shrimp, thawed if frozen

·Kosher salt

·8 scallions, whites chopped, greens thinly sliced

·2 cloves garlic cloves, chopped

·1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled ginger

·3 cups cold cooked white rice

·2 large eggs, beaten to blend

·½ cup frozen edamame, thawed

·½ cup frozen peas, thawed

·3 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

·2 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

·1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil



1. Cut the shrimp in half, salt & pepper it, and set aside.  Slice the green onions, separating the green from the white.  Mince the garlic, chop the ginger, shred the carrot, and seed and mince the jalapeño.  Always wear gloves when handling peppers.  Mix the eggs. In another bowl whisk together the vinegar, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Set everything aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp.  Toss it regularly, until it is just opaque in the center, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the eggs and scramble for 1 minute until very soft set.  Transfer to a plate.  Wipe the skillet out.
4. Heat the remaining oils.  Add the onion whites, garlic, ginger, carrot, and jalapeño. Sauté, tossing constantly, for about 1 minute. Add the rice and toss to make sure everything is incorporated. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Add in the shrimp and cook for another minute. 
5. Toss in the eggs and soy sauce mixture.  Sauté, tossing constantly, until the eggs are broken up and the sauce is thoroughly mixed in. 
6. Sprinkle the onion greens on top of the shrimp fried rice.  Offer your guests soy sauce.