Fried Rice Pro Tips

[Anonymous No.10366153]

So long story short, I'm stuck in Denmark for two years (I am actually an Amerifat) and no one here cooks fried rice the way I like it.

I've therefore decided to start learning to make it myself. However, I know jack shit about making it despite loving to eat it so much. Hence why I am now on here asking for protips on how to cook it properly.

I've already made one attempt but the rice is too sticky and mushy. I'm not sure how this came about, but this seems to be my first hurdle in learning to cook it the way I like it.

Pic not my fried rice, but what I'd like it to one day look like.

[Anonymous No.10366156]

>>10366153
Needs eggs and mirepoix.

[Anonymous No.10366166]

eat normal rice first and then use the leftover rice for frying

[Anonymous No.10366180]

Day old rice from the fridge. Screamingly hot wok/pan. Don't use olive oil. Get all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking. Don't load it with so many vegetables that it starts looking like a stir fry - the rice is the star, any meat, veg, and egg are there as a supporting cast.

[Anonymous No.10366188]

>>10366156
I'll get to that point. For now I just want to get the texture of the rice correct. I think I might have bought some weird type of rice or something but it's hard to tell since I don't speak Danish.

I am also unsure if you are supposed to wash the rice first? I saw some random article online that said you are supposed to wash the starch off. I'm trying that with my second batch now.

>>10366166
That's what I did. At least with the first batch.

[Anonymous No.10366202]

>>10366188
Properly cook rice, refrigerate for 24 hours then fry in a hot wok with >>10366156. You can add a protein (other than egg) if you want but it's up to you. Just keep it moving...fried rice needs to be constantly tossed. You can't just turn on the heat and walk away.

[Anonymous No.10366236]

>>10366188
You need to describe the texture you get so we can tell what you're doing wrong.

[Anonymous No.10366251]

Tablespoon of sugar and msg.

[Anonymous No.10366272]

>>10366153
The only thing you really need to learn, other than the obvious but helpful stuff posted here, are cook times for different items. Meat and root veg take the longest, and things like beansprouts should be added dead last, right before eating.

[Anonymous No.10366383]

>>10366156
>Mirepoix
alri la

[Anonymous No.10366720]

>>10366153
I'm no pro fried rice maker, but if it's to sticky, let it sit out at room temp for a few hours. I would spread it out on a sheet tray. then put it in the fridge so it becomes day old rice. don't cover it in the fridge, it might make condensation and become wet again.
when frying it use high heat and don't try to cook it all at once. don't over crowd your pan.

when it comes to the veggies and other non rice stuff in it. I like to cook that first and set it aside so the rice can cook on it's own. and I'm not burning the non rice stuff. then add it to the rice when your ready to add your soy and or sesame oil
make sure you use plenty of onion (scallions too), mushrooms are a great addition

[Anonymous No.10366750]

>>10366720
Yeah, it's really sticky and mushy, so I'll try letting it air out like you recommend. Though I could just be cooking the rice too long maybe, or maybe I just have low-quality rice.

[Anonymous No.10366784]

>>10366750
Are you using short grain rice or something? Something like jasmin or basmati wouldn't get as sticky.

[Anonymous No.10366864]

>>10366784
That might be it, but it's hard to tell because I am in Denmark and all the shit is in Danish. So I've no clue. I just knew to avoid the sushi rice.

[Anonymous No.10366920]

>>10366864
If you post a picture or write something from the package I can translate

[Anonymous No.10366941]

>>10366920
I already threw away the packaging in last weeks trash. But I certainly can tell the rice grains seem shorter than what I am used to, so I think it is short grain rice. I'll see if I can ask someone next time I go to the store, but everything is shut down right now because of Easter.

[Anonymous No.10368427]

pay attention anon

[Anonymous No.10369604]

>>10366202
>refrigerate for 24 hours
that's just a meme
you just need it to be cooled down of whatever rice cooker you have or pot

[Anonymous No.10371507]

>>10366202
This may be a dumb question, but how do you properly cook rice? I don't have a rice cooker right now but plan to get one as soon as I can find one. But for now I have to do it on the stove.

[Anonymous No.10371575]

>>10366153
rinse your rice at least 5 times before you boil it. Use a little less than twice the amount of water to rice. Get it to a slow simmer and put the lid on and don't lift it till it's done. Take the rice and put it in a bowl and leave it overnight in the fridge to dry a bit.

When you fry the rice keep it moving. Add flavors like sauces in small batches to keep the heat frm dropping to much. If you add fried egg then add a bit of soy sauce to it before beating the egg and fry it on high heat ahead of time. vegetables should also be cooked ahead of time at high heat quickly to brighten the color then added back in just before the rice is finished. Meats likewise should be cooked quickly but completely then added when you add the vegetables back in. Keep the meat cuts tiny so they cook quicker and mix well in the rice.

[Anonymous No.10371582]

>>10366153
I made this with day old Japanese Short Grain rice.
If you want to achieve the Benihana's taste.
Garlic Butter is the trick.
I did something very similar.
>pic related
it's a Garlic and Bacon fried rice.

For the oils:
>bacon fat
>a spoonful of chinese chili oil
For the Garlic Butter
>Butter
>Garlic
>Soy Sauce
>Dashi Powder

Came out excellently. 9.5/10 in terms of flavor. One of the best fried rices I've ever made/eaten. No point in going out to restaurants when you can achieve something better at home.

[Anonymous No.10371583]

>>10371582

[Anonymous No.10371586]

>>10366156
You don't need celery or carrot for good fried rice.

[Anonymous No.10371591]

>>10366153
Bean sprouts are a bad addition to fried rice IMO. Mostly because they add nothing to the dish other than texture. You can get that same crunch with scallions, and it wont have that greasy, slimy texture.

That being said i do enjoy a small amount of beansprouts in fried rice occasionally.

[Anonymous No.10371651]

You need to use fish sauce. I dont give a fuck what anyone thinks if you dont use some brand of fish sauce its not going to taste right.

[Anonymous No.10371657]

>>10371651
see what you're saying is silly. There is no "Taste right" with fried rice.
There's no one approach to it.
The only thing i think is fundamental for fried rice is Soy Sauce, but there are still versions without it.

I personally never use fish sauce, but i will give it a try now, just because i like to experiment with my fried rice.

[Anonymous No.10372198]

>>10366153
Huwhite in HK here

Cook the rice the night before and put it in the fridge, then use it for your fried rice the next day.

Some of the taste you get from restaurants is really due to the spices, Spice Salt and Garlic Salt are two components in a lot of them

[Anonymous No.10372212]

>>10371651
>fermented fish intestines

[Anonymous No.10372217]

>>10371575
this

[Anonymous No.10372224]

>>10366153
a dash of good quality sesame oil brings an amazing aroma to the dish and a nice little rich flavour that rounds it out nicely but don't add too much, unless it's crappy oil then it's potent enough to only need a little

[Anonymous No.10372405]

>>10366153

I'm chinese and cook fried rice
1. use leftover rice from the refrigerator. It actually makes its easier for the rice to not clump up. Some people dont believe this, all I can say is you can experiment yourself, do fresh rice vs overnight rice and see the difference
2. use a wok if u have, this allows you to keep moving the rice around which prevents it from clumping up. Use a spatula(?) to break up the clumps of rice
3. temp on high. oil in. set temp to medium. rice in. thats why wok is better because it distributes the heat better
4. season w soy sauce + salt + white pepper + shaoxing wine if you have it
5. break an egg in if you like egg fried rice

[Anonymous No.10372513]

>>10372405
hey chinaman where's the oyster sauce?? also wtf do you mean a wok prevents clumps?
clumps are largely dependent on the grain of rice you use.

[Anonymous No.10372527]

>>10372513

high heat is needed to cook off the moisture. the moisture is what makes clumps. wok allows for the most even distribution of heat. its not needed but its the best for fried rice.

usually two varieties of rice are used in chinese restaurants: medium grain jasmine rice and short grain pearl rice.

ofc you can use oyster sauce if u want i personally just use soy sauce

[Anonymous No.10372535]

>>10372527
>the moisture is what makes clumps
I use Japanese short grain. I can leave my rice to dry in the fridge for days and there will still be clumps.
a lot of people forget that the rice grain is at the heart of the fried rice, and picking the wrong grain will totally effect the outcome depending on what you're aiming for.

[Anonymous No.10372538]

>>10372535
do you use high heat + keep moving the rice as it cooks + break the clumps up with your paddle/spatula ? non clumpy short grain fried rice is doable

[Anonymous No.10372544]

>>10372538
i like to break up the rice with my hands a lil bit before i cook it.
then i transfer to a regular pan and i break it up further with 2 utensils.

pic related.

[Anonymous No.10372560]

>day old rice
>screaming hot pan
>monosodium glutamate
wa la

[Anonymous No.10372572]

>>10366153
OP, the leftover rice really is a nice trick. The individual grains just get a bit dried, searing nicer when the cold grains hit oil, a way that browns the starch vs steams it. Use reg. long grain rice and not one known to be more starchy like pearl or valencia is one help. I don't use a steamer to make rice because I know my pots have good lids, but they make effective microwave steamers, which are cheap if you don't want to buy a countertop appliance.

If you can buy an electric wok, great. If you can not own a high BTU burner and well seasoned wok, the next best thing is a cast iron or le crueset. hey can get screaming hot. What's the trick if using ordinary cookware? Well, stop thinking you need to rapid stir fry it like chefs over high BTU burners. Slow down. Think of it like pancakes. You don't flip them until bubbles appear, right? You will not be flipping or moving the rice until it is browned and at that perfect point of browning that allows the grain to be lifted off the pan without leaving its crust in the pan. Patience. So, you'll cook your egg, remove from pan, wipe pan clean. Get the pan hot now, saute the veggies in order by way of thickness. Your veggie choices vary by culture, or will just be leftovers *shrug* and then remove from pan. Add more oil til hot. Dump in rice, then use spatula to pat down evenly in a tight flat layer. Pour over soy sauce mixture (I kick it up with ginger, chili oil, drop of sesame oil, splash of sherry, but all optional). Try using low sodium tamari or soy, so that you can get more soy sauce flavor and browning before you're salted out. Sizzles, then steams, then browns. Carefully lift up a section with spatula to look at browning. If lifts easily and browned, flip each quadrant of the rice over to brown on side 2. Add back the veggies on top, and egg, cutting with spatula. Sprinkle over some sprouts, green onion, or even cilantro at this point. Sauce. Wait. Then, mix/chop up to combine.

[Anonymous No.10372587]

>>10372544
>strategically placed texas pete hotsauce
>it's empty
buy some more holy shit

[Anonymous No.10372593]

>>10371507
>Put it on the stove
>Follow the instructions for water ratio, heat, etc.
>Do NOT lift the lid until 10 minutes after it's done cooking
Presto! You've made rice.

[Anonymous No.10372785]

Fried rice tastes great with almost anything. I've only made it a few times and the hardest part was keeping everything in the pan as you stir. Kimchi, ketchup, soy sauce, and ginger for a nice sweet spicy gingery flavor. Veggies, eggs, and meats precooked and added to rice as support.

[Anonymous No.10372797]

>>10371583
I can almost taste it through the image, good shit anon my mouth is watering

[Anonymous No.10372841]

>>10372797
thanks
i highly recommend trying out garlic butter in fried rice. just add it when the rice is done. You're going to get an amazing flavor out of it.

[Anonymous No.10372874]

>>10371582
>>10371583
>chili oil
>runny egg yolk

mah nigga. This looks really good anon. I'll try it next time

[Anonymous No.10373027]

OP here again, thanks for all the advice guys! Though one of my biggest concerns with fried rice is honestly the texture. Even more specifically the oil. My first goal (after getting rice right) is to get the oil to rice ratio just right to where it's not so dry it makes you choke, but also not so oily it makes you sick.

Also, what sorts of oils do y'all recommend? I know someone mentioned no olive oil, will just plain vegetable oil be fine? (I know sesame oil is used for flavoring, but I tried cooking my first batch with just sesame oil and quickly realized it was too much).

[Anonymous No.10373053]

>>10373027
just make it oily enough so it doesn't stick to the pan.
thats your upmost concern. it may seem dry but you can add sesame oil at the finish of the dish.
Keep in mind if you're using really delicate rice grains you don't need much oil.

[Anonymous No.10373068]

>>10373027
>what sorts of oils do y'all recommend?
>sesame oil
>canola oil
>vegetable oil
>coconut oil
>peanut oil
>bacon fat

it all works
If you want a lil trick a lot of the times chinese restaurants use old peanut oil they used to deep fry food with. This is a way to impart some flavor.

[Anonymous No.10373109]

>>10366153
Fried Rice for me is one of my favorite dishes to make, so i'm going to show you some tricks to give your fried rice an extra special flavor.

Consider using any of the following to boost your rices flavor
>Garlic Butter
>A lil bit of Chili Oil
>Used Frying Oil
>Chicken Base
>sake/beer/wine deglaze (deglaze the pan with some alcohol, let the liquid reduce then add in the rice to absorb some of the alcohol, keep in mind how delicate or how thin the grains you're using are for this method. I typically use sushi rice, which can handle more moisture)

These are all touches I'll use to give my fried rice depth of flavor.

[Anonymous No.10373239]

>>10366153
4 billion dollar question here
when does one add eggs to the rice?

[Anonymous No.10373290]

>>10373239
As the very last thing before you serve it. Eggs are safe where I come from, so I knock out two on top and stir it in with the pan off the heat.

[Anonymous No.10373318]

mirin, oyster sauce, garlic, and soy sauce makes god tier fried rice

[Anonymous No.10373537]

I'm not sure if I'm just retarded but I've never cooked rice with oil. Usually it's just 1.5cups of water to 1cup of rice.

>>10366180
why not olive oil?

[Anonymous No.10373560]

>>10366153
dip in seasoned flour, dip in egg/buttermilk bath, dip in seasoned flour again, dip in egg/buttermilk bath again, dip in seasoned flour again, drop in pot of oil

frying is not that hard, jackass.

[Anonymous No.10373566]

>>10373239
there's no actual answer to this question btw.
It really depends on the amount of eggs imo.
I typically use 3 eggs for 1 1/2 cups of rice.
I obviously cannot add 3 eggs at the end, otherwise i'll get soggy mushy rice.

So I actually prepare the eggs before I add the rice,
>sometimes i'll remove them and save them to add back in during the end
>sometimes i'll add them after i cook the meat and vegetables and keep in

Your pan is also an indicator of whether or not you should add eggs last. If it's big enough to cook eggs without effecting the texture of the rice then feel free.

[Anonymous No.10373575]

>>10373537
olive oil just doesn't make sense for the asian flavor of fried rice. Also it has a low smoke point, so if you're cooking fried rice in a wok it will burn.
>>10373537
you add the oil when you're stir frying already cooked rice, you dont need it when you cook the grains.
>>10373560
Nice bait.