Dish of Gold and Silver Fried Rice
(click to enlarge)

Fried Rice: Gold and Silver


China - Jiangsu   -   Jinyin Zicai Yaoguo Chaofan
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 side
**
25 min
Prep		 In China, fried rice is a snack or street food, not served at dinner where its flavors could interfere with flavors of other dishes - but we barbarians can do whatever we please. This recipe can be a light main dish for two.

2
1/2
7
3
1/4
1
1-1/2
1/2
-------
tt
1
c
c

lrg
t
T
T
t
----

t
Rice, cold (1)
Cashews, raw (2)  
Nori Sheets (3)  
Eggs
Salt
Oil / Lard (4)
Oil / Lard (4)
Salt
-- Garnish
Salt (sprinkle)
Sesame Oil, dark
Do-Ahead   -   (8+ hrs)
  1. Cook RICE with the minimum amount of water needed. Grains should be separate, but cooked fully through. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. This changes the starch composition of the rice, (see Note-1).
Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. With a thin sharp Santoko or similar knife, cut raw CASHEWS into 2 or 3 pieces depending on size. Dry pan roast them over fairly high heat, turning almost constantly, until they have a lot of medium brown spots and edges. A pan temperature of 440°F/225°C is as high as you should go. This will take about 8 minutes. Stop eating them!
  2. With scissors, cut NORI sheets into about 3/8 inch square flakes.
  3. Beat EGGS lightly with 1/4 t Salt.
Run   -   (15 min)
  1. Fluff the Rice as best you can.
  2. In a wok, heat 1 T Oil over medium-high heat. Pour in Eggs. As they solidify, tilt the pan towards you. Push the solids up away from you while the liquid drains toward you, until the eggs are no longer runny but soft and fluffy. Scoop them out into a dish using a slotted spoon.
  3. Add 1-1/2 T Oil and distribute it well. Pour the fluffed Rice into the pan and toss it about over moderate heat until well heated and all lumps are broken up.
  4. Stir in 1/2 t Salt and Nori. Continue tumbling the rice until the Nori starts to break up.
  5. Stir in Cashews and toss everything together until evenly distributed.
  6. Garnish with a light sprinkling of salt and 1 t Sesame Oil.
  7. Serve hot. Fried rice can be reheated, either in the oven or back in the pan.
NOTES:

  1. Rice:

      A long grain rice like Thai Jasmine is good for Fried Rice. 2 cups raw makes 2 pounds 2 ounces cooked - 2 cups lightly packed is about 12 ounces. The rice should be well washed, then cooked fairly dry so when the grains are cooked through they are still quite separate. The rice must be fully cold, preferably refrigerated overnight, which changes its starch composition.

  2. Cashews:

      Raw Cashews pan roasted like this have both flavor and texture considerably different from commercially roasted cashews. In China, pan toasted Pine Nuts might be used instead of Cashews.

  3. Nori Sheets:

      [Laver] Standard sheets of paper thin Nori seaweed are about 7-1/2 x 8 inches. 7 sheets weigh about 5/8 ounce. They are available in most Asian markets, particularly those serving Japanese and Korean communities. For details see our Seaweed page.

  4. Oil / Lard:

      The traditional frying media in China is Lard, and, if you use it, you will have a lot less trouble with rice sticking to the pan. Lard has a health profile better than butter, and is far and away better for you than the trans fats and denatured omega-6 oils the AHA has told you to use. Do render your own lard though, it's easy. For details see our Lard page.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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