WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS This simple fried rice transforms a handful of basic ingredients into a restaurant worthy dish that’s faster and far tastier than takeout. Sweet baby green peas, crunchy-juicy bean sprouts, and pungent scallions add the vegetable interest here. Using chilled cooked rice is key to achieving the best texture in any fried rice, but we rarely have leftover rice on hand. To get freshly cooked rice to act like leftover rice, we used a three-pronged approach: First we sautéed the rice in oil to keep the grains separate; then we cooked it in less water than usual, making it drier from the start; and finally, we encouraged the rice to cool quickly by spreading it on a baking sheet and refrigerating it for 20 minutes. To make sure the eggs didn’t overcook, we scrambled them lightly and then removed them from the pan while we combined the sauce and the rice. The tender peas and bean sprouts didn’t need much cooking, so we added them at the end so they could just warm through. We prefer baby peas in this recipe, but
regular peas can be substituted.
Serves 4 to 6
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- FOR RICE:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 2⅔ cups water
- FOR DTIR-FRY
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
- 2 ounces (1 cup) bean sprouts
- 5 scallions, sliced thin
INSTRUCTIONS
- FOR RICE:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add rice and stir to coat.
- Stir in water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 16 to 18 minutes.
- Off heat, lay a clean folded dish towel underneath the lid and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Spread rice onto a rimmed baking sheet and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes. (Chilled rice can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
- FOR STIR-FRY:
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add eggs and cook, without stirring, until just beginning to set, about 20 seconds.
- Continue to cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and breaking curds into small pieces, until eggs are cooked through but not browned, about 30 seconds; transfer to a bowl.
- Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl until combined; set aside.
- Break up any large clumps of rice with your fingers.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add rice and cook until beginning to sizzle and pop loudly, about 3 minutes.
- Add sauce and cook, stirring and folding constantly, until rice is heated through and evenly coated with sauce, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in eggs, peas, bean sprouts, and scallions and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Serve.
