Read Quick & Easy Chinese Online
Authors: Nancie McDermott
Quick & Easy Chinese (34 page)
This recipe makes a pot of plain, unseasoned rice, the perfect centerpiece to a meal of Chinese dishes. You may have a rice cooker, as I do, and enjoy the ease it provides on busy days. But I suggest you learn to cook rice, so that you will be ready to do so when you find yourself wanting to cook a Chinese meal in a friend’s kitchen, or on a camping trip.
1½ cups long-grain rice
2 cups water
SERVES
4
In a medium saucepan, rinse the rice in several changes of cool water, then drain it well.
Add the 2 cups of water to the pan and place it on the stove over medium heat. Let the rice come to a gentle boil and continue cooking until the rice begins to look dry, about 5 minutes.
Stir well and then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook 15 minutes more. Remove the covered pan from the stove and let it stand for 10 minutes undisturbed. Uncover and stir gently to fluff up the rice. Serve hot or warm.
My husband, Will, makes ham-and-egg fried rice better than anybody I know. He doesn’t measure or write things as he cooks, so this took a little detective work, but I finally got it down to share with you. Egg fried rice is a traditional Chinese dish, and the addition of ham is a hearty and pretty touch. This makes one fine supper on a busy Sunday evening.
4 cups cooked rice, cold or at room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped onion
4 ounces ham, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
3 well-beaten eggs
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
SERVES
4
Crumble the rice so that it breaks up into individual grains for easy stir-frying.
Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and cook, tossing often, for 15 seconds. Add the ham, salt, and sugar, and toss well.
Add the eggs and then tilt the pan to help them cook. Lift the edges and turn the pan, to expose as much egg as possible to the hot pan. When the edges have set, scramble them into soft lumps.
Quickly add the rice and toss to mix it with the ham and eggs evenly and well. Cook, tossing often, until the rice is hot and tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the green onion and toss well. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot or warm.
Shrimp and peas give gorgeous color to this tasty version of fried rice. Take it to a potluck, or enjoy it as a one-dish supper. If you have leftover cooked shrimp, give them a quick toss in the hot pan before adding the rice, instead of allowing time for the shrimp to cook.
4 cups cooked long-grain rice, preferably chilled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
¾ cup frozen tiny peas
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
SERVES
4
TO
6
Crumble up the rice so that it breaks up into individual grains for easy stir-frying.
Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion, garlic, and salt, and toss until shiny and fragrant.
Scatter in the shrimp, spreading them out into a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until most of the shrimp have turned pink around the edges, about 1 minute. Add the peas and toss well.
Add the rice and toss well. Cook, tossing often, until the shrimp are cooked through and the rice is hot and tender, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Add the green onion and cilantro and toss to mix them in. Transfer to a serving plate, and serve hot or warm.