Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep
- Get everything ready before the pan gets hot. Fried rice moves fast and won't wait for you. Break up the day-old rice with your hands so there are no clumps. Pat the shrimp dry and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Separate the white and green parts of the green onions.15 pieces of peeled and deveined shrimp, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 cups rice, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 1 cup of frozen vegetables, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 stalks of green onions
Sear the shrimp
- Sear the shrimp first, then get them out of the way. Heat the wok over medium-high and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Toss in 2 cloves of minced garlic, then the shrimp. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove and set aside.1 tbsp neutral oil
Fry the rice and eggs
- Fry the rice. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the same wok. Add the remaining 4 cloves of garlic and the white parts of the green onions. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the rice and press it into the pan, breaking up any last clumps.2 tbsp of neutral oil
- Scramble the eggs right into it. Push the rice to one side, pour the beaten eggs into the empty space, and let them set for a few seconds. Scramble, then fold everything together.
Bring it together
- Add the veg. Stir in the frozen vegetables and cook 2 minutes until heated through. No need to thaw first.
- Sauce it. Pour in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss until every grain is coated.2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil
- Finish with shrimp and butter. Add the shrimp back in with the green parts of the onions and the cold butter. Stir-fry 1 minute until the butter melts and everything turns glossy.1 tbsp butter
- Serve hot. Top with extra green onions and eat right away. This is a right-now kind of dish.
Notes
- Prep before you turn the stove on. This whole thing cooks in minutes, so there's no time to be chopping garlic while the shrimp burns. Break up the rice, chop everything, get the shrimp peeled and deveined, and line it all up ready to go.
- Get the pan screaming hot. A properly heated wok or skillet is what gives fried rice that smoky takeout flavor. A lukewarm pan just steams everything into a sad mush.
- Cook in stages and don't crowd the pan. Shrimp first, then rice, eggs, and veg. Pile it all in at once and nothing sears, it just sweats.
- Season with a light hand. It doesn't need much. A little soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper is all it takes to load this up with umami. Taste before you add more.