Whether you’re ordering Chinese food in the UK, the States or even in New Zealand, Yangzhou Chow Fan, commonly known as Special Fried Rice, is a perennial favourite. What makes this dish such a winner is its variety: you’re treated to a little bit of meat, veg, egg, and rice in every mouthful!
To make a really stellar Special Fried Rice, simply follow our three ‘rules of thumb’. And if you’re after something extra special, try our Dumpling Sisters variations: Tim’s Fried Egg Special, and the Curry Special.
The three rules of thumb
Overnight rice: The best rice for stir frying is cooked long grain white rice that has had a chance to cool and dry out a bit, usually overnight in the fridge. This allows the rice to become nice and toasty in the wok, and it also ensures that every grain gets coated in all of the lovely seasonings. What if you find yourself with a sudden craving for fried rice but no overnight rice at the ready? No worries. Simply cook the rice and let it cool, break it up on a baking tray, and pop it into the freezer for half an hour before frying.
Three meat and three veg: The ‘special’ part of Special Fried Rice comes down to the abundance and variety of good leiu, or ingredients. We recommend going for three meats and three veg of your choosing, chopped up into tasty little morsels.
Size and colour: Part of the appeal of Special Fried Rice is how lovely it looks, like an edible rainbow! To achieve this effect, choose meats and veg with bright and contrasting colours. To make sure that you get as many goodies as possible in each mouthful, chop all of the ingredients into small cubes that are approximately the same size as the peas. This will also help everything to cook evenly.
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