Hotzword Fried Rice | 什锦炒饭
Fried rice can be tasty in a hundred way with a hundred different combinations of ingredients. Egg, scallion and rice is all it takes to make a basic tasty fried rice dish. Some classic add-ons include green peas, carrots, hams, shrimps, etc. For this one, we include ham, corns and dried Shiitake mushrooms. Not following any rules but impressively tasty, so we name it Hotzword fried rice for the time being.
The key of fried rice is to make everything dry, and that every grain is separated. The top-level fried-rice is so well heated that there is a special term to describe the aroma – wok hei, or ‘breath of a wok’. It is a special smoky flavor achieved under intense heat, where oil burns out the excess moisture and even brings in a taste of the iron wok. Wok hei is not generally achievable with home-style stove, but we could at least try.
Ingredients
Shiitake mushrooms should be rehydrated ahead of time. (Usually soaked in cold water overnight). Frozen corns should be unfrozen by washing under warm water.
STEPS
1.
Wash and dry rehydrated Shiitake mushrooms and corns. Cut hams into pieces. Cut scallion into rings, separate white and green. Beat eggs, and add in salt to taste.
2.
Heat wok on high till giving thin smoke. Add a drizzle of oil. Add egg mixture, stir fry constantly until eggs go solid. The egg should have a golden brown color but not turning burned dark brown. Transfer out the eggs.
3.
Wok still over high heat. Add in a drizzle of oil. Add in scallion white, Shiitake mushrooms and corns, stir fry until they are dry and cooked. Transfer out.
4.
Add in rice on medium-low heat. Slowly bake the rice, stir from time to time. Untill the rice is warmed through and mixed up with other ingredients, about 10 min.
5.
Turn to low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve!
TIPS
There's two keys to remember. First, use overnight rice instead of freshly cooked rice. Because sitting rice overnight will dry out the excess moisture, so that the rice will not stick together. Second, do not throw in too much stuff in a wok at once. Or the temperature will plummet, and you will end up steaming instead of frying things. That is why we add different ingredients one at a time, and mix them in the end.