question about fried rice

IronMaster said:

Or is there a secret to making it?

Cook your plain rice, put it in the fridge, come back the
next day and prepare the dish.

It works best with old (leftover) rice, not freshly cooked.

-Jeff B. yeff at erols dot com

"IronMaster" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend a type/brand of rice to make good
fried rice? The brands I've tried in the local grocery
never turn out like the stuff at the good Chinese
restarants. Or is there a secret to making it? I thought
I heard once that each grain needs to be lightly coated
with some type of oil so that it won't stick. Does that
seem right?

Fried rice is a leftovers dish. If you use freshly cooked
(i.e., hot) rice it won't work. Everything needs to be cold.
Or, as I was taught, "hot wok, cold rice".

"IronMaster" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend a type/brand of rice to make good
fried rice? The brands I've tried in the local grocery
never turn out like the stuff at the good Chinese
restarants. Or is there a secret to making it? I thought
I heard once that each grain needs to be lightly coated
with some type of oil so that it won't stick. Does that
seem right?

Use leftover rice. I like either jasmine rice or the
medium grained Japanese rice. I have a tried and true
recipe on my web page:

pgacon.comcooking.htmOpen ↗

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

"IronMaster" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend a type/brand of rice to make good
fried rice? The brands I've tried in the local grocery
never turn out like the stuff at the good Chinese
restarants. Or is there a secret to making it? I thought
I heard once that each grain needs to be lightly coated
with some type of oil so that it won't stick. Does that
seem right?

You can make it with pretty much any long or medium grain
rice. Jasmine or Basmati work well, and each lends it's own
character, subtly changing the taste. Are you using the rice
right away when it's cooked? Fried rice is a way to use up
leftovers! It works best if the rice is cooked a day in
advance and refrigerated overnight. I like the flavor of
sesame oil, so I use that to make it. I just drizzle it in
the pan, then add the rice. Stir fry for a few minutes, and
add other ingredients. If I made stir fry the day before as
well, I'll chop up the leftover meat and veggies and toss
that in. A little garlic butter, and little soy sauce, an
egg or two and your done. Just remember to keep things
moving, and use medium high to high heat.

kimberly

Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend a type/brand of rice to make good
fried rice? The brands I've tried in the local grocery
never turn out like the stuff at the good Chinese
restarants. Or is there a secret to making it? I thought
I heard once that each grain needs to be lightly coated
with some type of oil so that it won't stick. Does that
seem right?

Any brand will do fine, really -- heck, I even use
Minute Maid. 🙂

As others have noted, the key to successful fried rice is to
cool it first. If you make the rice then toss it in the wok,
it will be a bit sticky/mushy. When I'm in a hurry, I don't
worry about it -- it tastes just fine sticky/mushy when you
don't have time. 🙂 Refrigerated rice, say after about 8
hours or so, works best though.

When I fry, this is basically what I do:

1) Saute fresh garlic and onion in butter (yes, I said
butter -- it adds flavor).

2) Add a little more butter because I misjudged the amount I
needed the first time around. <Grin>

3) Add the rice and start stirring it up, soaking up all
that good flavor.

4) Add a couple-three tablespoons of soy sauce.

5) Push the rice to the outmost edge of the wok and put a
scrambled egg in the middle.

6) Once it cooks, chop the egg up and mix it in with the
rice; go back to normal stirring.

That's the basics there. You can add any manner of
vegetables along the way, meat is fine (pre-cooked), green
onions, scallions and so forth. I also use various spices
from time to time as well -- depends on my flavor of the
day. 🙂 Another important thing -- cook the rice in broth,
preferably chicken broth. I'll cook up the chicken then add
some additional spices and herbs to the broth and measure it
out to cook the rice.

"JNJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend a type/brand of rice to make good
fried rice? The brands I've tried in the local grocery
never turn out like the stuff at the good Chinese
restarants. Or is there a secret to making it? I thought
I heard once that each grain needs to be lightly coated
with some type of oil so that it won't stick. Does that
seem right?

Any brand will do fine, really -- heck, I even use Minute
Maid. 🙂

As others have noted, the key to successful fried rice is
to cool it

first.

Quoted message said:

If you make the rice then toss it in the wok, it will
be a bit

sticky/mushy.

Quoted message said:

When I'm in a hurry, I don't worry about it -- it tastes
just fine sticky/mushy when you don't have time. 🙂
Refrigerated rice, say after about 8 hours or so, works
best though.

When I fry, this is basically what I do:

1) Saute fresh garlic and onion in butter (yes, I said
butter -- it adds flavor).

2) Add a little more butter because I misjudged the amount
I needed the first time around. <Grin>

3) Add the rice and start stirring it up, soaking up all
that good flavor.

4) Add a couple-three tablespoons of soy sauce.

5) Push the rice to the outmost edge of the wok and put a
scrambled egg in the middle.

6) Once it cooks, chop the egg up and mix it in with the
rice; go back to normal stirring.

That's the basics there. You can add any manner of
vegetables along the way, meat is fine (pre-cooked), green
onions, scallions and so forth. I also use various spices
from time to time as well -- depends on my flavor

of

Quoted message said:

the day. 🙂 Another important thing -- cook the rice
in broth,

preferably

Quoted message said:

chicken broth. I'll cook up the chicken then add some
additional spices

and

Quoted message said:

herbs to the broth and measure it out to cook the rice.

I am glad that you enjoy this but surely you know that it
bears no connection with authentic Chinese fried rice.
Butter? Sheesh!! Give the real thing a try - you may become
a convert.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

Quoted message said:

I am glad that you enjoy this but surely you know that it
bears no connection with authentic Chinese fried rice.
Butter? Sheesh!! Give the

real

Quoted message said:

thing a try - you may become a convert.

I've had the real thing and I've made the real thing. As for
it bearing no connection with "authentic Chinese fried
rice", I'll wager you could not substantiate the word
"authentic" anyway. Oyster sauce? Yuck! :-) Besides, we're
talking fried rice here -- not just Chinese fried rice --
and there are all sorts of ways to fry it up. Even within
"authentic" Chinese cuisine there are different methods
depending on province of origin, although most restaurants
seem to be either Cantonese or Mandarin. Don't forget there
are also Japanese renditions as well as any of a number of
other ethnic renditions. The local teppan-yaki style
Japanese restaurants use garlic butter for their fried rice;
although there's sesame oil on the grill still from other
things cooked there it isn't the main frying medium.

For the frying medium, one can use sesame oil, olive oil,
butter, margarine and just about any other oil -- it's all a
matter of flavor and each offers its own uniqueness. I tend
to mix it up -- a few nights ago it was olive oil, tonight
it was butter, and this weekend it will probably be sesame
oil (got a flavor for it again). Eggs are pretty much a
staple, and of course peas, corn, and carrots are pretty
common but any collection of veggies will do in the end.
Pork is great but if it's not handy, chicken does in a pinch
(and that's my preference anyway). Every Chinese restaurant
I know of uses chicken broth for making their rice. Soy is
of course a must and I jsut can't imagine fried rice without
garlic and onion -- in fact, I don't think I've ever eaten
it in ANY restaurant without the two.

Different strokes. Give it a try with a good butter (not the
stuff you typically buy at the supermarket -- the GOOD
stuff) and maybe YOU'LL convert. ;-)

James

"JNJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am glad that you enjoy this but surely you know that
it bears no connection with authentic Chinese fried
rice. Butter? Sheesh!! Give the

real

Quoted message said:

thing a try - you may become a convert.

I've had the real thing and I've made the real thing. As
for it bearing

no

Quoted message said:

connection with "authentic Chinese fried rice", I'll wager
you could not substantiate the word "authentic" anyway.
Oyster sauce? Yuck! :-) Besides, we're talking fried rice
here -- not just Chinese fried rice --

and

Quoted message said:

there are all sorts of ways to fry it up. Even within
"authentic" Chinese cuisine there are different methods
depending on province of origin, although most restaurants
seem to be either Cantonese or Mandarin. Don't forget
there are also Japanese renditions as well as any of a
number of other ethnic renditions. The local teppan-yaki
style Japanese restaurants use garlic butter for their
fried rice; although there's sesame oil on the grill still
from other things cooked there it isn't the main frying

medium.

Quoted message said:

For the frying medium, one can use sesame oil, olive
oil, butter,

margarine

Quoted message said:

and just about any other oil -- it's all a matter of
flavor and each

offers

Quoted message said:

its own uniqueness. I tend to mix it up -- a few nights
ago it was olive oil, tonight it was butter, and this
weekend it will probably be sesame

oil

Quoted message said:

(got a flavor for it again). Eggs are pretty much a
staple, and of

course

Quoted message said:

peas, corn, and carrots are pretty common but any
collection of veggies

will

Quoted message said:

do in the end. Pork is great but if it's not handy,
chicken does in a

pinch

Quoted message said:

(and that's my preference anyway). Every Chinese
restaurant I know of

uses

Quoted message said:

chicken broth for making their rice. Soy is of course a
must and I jsut can't imagine fried rice without garlic
and onion -- in fact, I don't

think

Quoted message said:

I've ever eaten it in ANY restaurant without the two.

Different strokes. Give it a try with a good butter (not
the stuff you typically buy at the supermarket -- the GOOD
stuff) and maybe YOU'LL convert. ;-)

James

You're right - I was assuming Chinese and there are lots of
other cultures who make fried rice dishes in many different
ways. As for Chinese "authenticity" it would be a rather
elusive concept for a dish that is designed to use up
leftovers. I do think however that the use of butter would
be universally inauthentic for Chinese fried rice - that's
what I was getting at. As for the oyster sauce, it's really
a wonderful addition. In the small quantity I use it results
in only a subtle background flavor.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

Quoted message said:

You're right - I was assuming Chinese and there are lots
of other cultures who make fried rice dishes in many
different ways. As for Chinese "authenticity" it would be
a rather elusive concept for a dish that is designed to
use up leftovers. I do think however that the use of
butter would be universally inauthentic for Chinese fried
rice - that's what I

was

Quoted message said:

getting at. As for the oyster sauce, it's really a
wonderful addition. In the small quantity I use it results
in only a subtle background flavor.

I've found that Japanese fried rice tends to be my favorite.
That's where I picked up using butter, among other things.
In some cases, I mince the garlic, melt the butter, add the
garlic, then let it sit and cool, effectively making my own
garlic butter. I'm on the fence as to whether this is better
than simply sauteeing the garlic straight off. The end
effect is similar so it really doesn't matter. :-)

Oh, and oyster sauce -- still gross! ;-)

James

"JNJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I've found that Japanese fried rice tends to be my
favorite. That's where

I

Quoted message said:

picked up using butter, among other things.

Living in Japan, I have never ever seen (at restaurants--
including teppanyaki places--or people's homes) Japanese
fried rice made with butter. Yes to garlic, no to butter. Of
course, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist somewhere in
Japan. Where did you have this garlic butter "Japanese"
fried rice?

rona

"JNJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've found that Japanese fried rice tends to be my
favorite. That's where

I

Quoted message said:

picked up using butter, among other things. In some cases,
I mince the garlic, melt the butter, add the garlic, then
let it sit and cool, effectively making my own garlic
butter. I'm on the fence as to whether this is better than
simply sauteeing the garlic straight off. The end effect
is similar so it really doesn't matter. :-)

I have been to Japan numerous times and have a number of
Japanese friends. I have never seen butter used.

Quoted message said:

Oh, and oyster sauce -- still gross! ;-)

James

Quoted message said:

Living in Japan, I have never ever seen (at restaurants--
including teppanyaki places--or people's homes) Japanese
fried rice made with

butter.

Quoted message said:

Yes to garlic, no to butter. Of course, that doesn't mean
it doesn't

exist

Quoted message said:

somewhere in Japan. Where did you have this garlic butter
"Japanese"

fried

Quoted message said:

rice?

Every teppan-yaki restaurant I've been to in the US. <Shrug>
Who knows -- maybe they Americanized it.

Quoted message said:

I have been to Japan numerous times and have a number of
Japanese friends.

I

Quoted message said:

have never seen butter used.

<Sigh> I give. Do me a favor guys -- go around to the
Japanese restaurants on the eastern half of the US that I've
visited and tell them they're doing it wrong.

The whole point was that you can use whatever frying
medium you choose. I've used sesame oil, olive oil,
butter, margarine, bacon grease, sausage grease, beef
grease...any fat will do fine. Try 'em all and find one
that works good for you.

Right now, I have a bowl of chicken broth in the fridge and
a bag of Jasmine Rice on the cabinet. I'm out of butter so
this one will probably be sesame oil. I'm gonna go make some
fried rice.

James

"JNJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Living in Japan, I have never ever seen (at restaurants--
including teppanyaki places--or people's homes) Japanese
fried rice made with

butter.

Quoted message said:

Yes to garlic, no to butter. Of course, that doesn't
mean it doesn't

exist

Quoted message said:

somewhere in Japan. Where did you have this garlic
butter "Japanese"

fried

Quoted message said:

rice?

Every teppan-yaki restaurant I've been to in the US.
<Shrug> Who

knows --

Quoted message said:

maybe they Americanized it.

Aha!

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

"JNJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Every teppan-yaki restaurant I've been to in the US.
<Shrug> Who

knows --

Quoted message said:

maybe they Americanized it.

Interesting. In a way it makes sense, since all teppanyaki
restaurants are Westernized "Japanese" food, anyway
(including those in Japan, which I would say are strongly
influenced by French cuisine more than any other Western
cuisine). (Generally speaking, though, North American
teppanyaki places are about as far from Japanese food as you
can get.) In Japan fried rice is usually made with lard (and
boy! Is it yummy!) so perhaps that was a bit off-putting to
Americans and their lard-phobic natures so butter was
substituted.

I went for teppanyaki today and the meat was served with a
spoonful or two of fried garlic on the side. The only
butter used was for the vegetables. Rice was steamed.
Courvoisier was used to flambee the beef. It was all good!
I wish I could have taken pictures (I did have my camera
with me) but since I was eating alone, and the place was
full (only 16-20 seats, all around the grill), I felt a bit
embarrassed about it.

rona
--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the
inconvenience!

"JNJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have been to Japan numerous times and have a number of
Japanese friends.

I

Quoted message said:

have never seen butter used.

<Sigh> I give. Do me a favor guys -- go around to the
Japanese restaurants on the eastern half of the US that
I've visited and tell them they're doing it wrong.

The whole point was that you can use whatever frying
medium you choose. I've used sesame oil, olive oil,
butter, margarine, bacon grease, sausage grease, beef
grease...any fat will do fine. Try 'em all and find one
that works good for you.

Right now, I have a bowl of chicken broth in the fridge
and a bag of Jasmine Rice on the cabinet. I'm out of
butter so this one will probably be sesame oil. I'm gonna
go make some fried rice.

James

The best fried rice is made with day old rice...Slightly
dried, kept in the fridge over night rice. It is a dish
made from leftover rice...if not left over everything
else as well..

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on
nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

"JNJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<Sigh> I give. Do me a favor guys -- go around to the
Japanese

restaurants

Quoted message said:

on the eastern half of the US that I've visited and tell
them they're

doing

Quoted message said:

it wrong.

As I mentioned elsewhere, teppanyaki places in the US (and
Canada) are as far from Japanese food as you can get. I
would also bet, that the majority of workers and owners of
those places aren't even Japanese, but are likely Chinese,
Vietnamese, Korean, or perhaps Laotian or Cambodian.

I'm probably starting another of those dreaded
"authenticity" threads, but it would be best not to think of
what you're eating at those places as "Japanese" since few
Japanese would recognize it as such.

rona

--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the
inconvenience!***

Quoted message said:

Aha!

Doesn't matter Peter -- IT TASTES GOOD! :-)

James

IronMaster <[email hidden]> wrote in news:IronMaster1-
[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend a type/brand of rice to make good
fried rice? The brands I've tried in the local grocery
never turn out like the stuff at the good Chinese
restarants. Or is there a secret to making it? I thought
I heard once that each grain needs to be lightly coated
with some type of oil so that it won't stick. Does that
seem right?

Use just plain long grain or the par-boiled (converted)
types of rice They don't stick/clump together as much.

Use rice that has been previously cooked (day old
refridgerated rice)...leftovers. Best if the rice is
slightly dried out.

Use high heat and peanut oil.

Get everything ready before you start...all the veggies pre-
diced...or what ever. And close at hand

As the rice cooks up fast.... No time to stop and chop.

Keep every moving in the pan

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on
nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.