Egg Fried Rice
The ultimate quick dinner — day-old rice tossed in a hot wok with eggs, soy sauce and spring onion. Better than takeout in 20 minutes. Fried rice started life as a way of giving leftover rice a second chance, and that is still the only rule that really matters: the rice has to be cold and dry, or it steams into a sticky mass instead of toasting. Everything else about it is flexible.
Prep time10 min
Cook time10 min
Total time20 min
Servings2 servings
DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked, cold rice (ideally a day old)
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
- Salt and white pepper
Instructions
- 1Break up the cold rice with your fingers or a fork until every grain is separate, then leave it on the counter for 10 minutes to take the fridge chill off.
- 2Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and line up the peas, spring onions and soy sauce next to the hob. There is no time to go hunting once the wok is hot.
- 3Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat until it just begins to smoke.
- 4Pour in the eggs and scramble them fast for 30-45 seconds, until barely set, then tip them out onto a plate.
- 5Add the remaining oil and then the rice. Press it flat against the wok for 30 seconds at a time, then toss, repeating for 2-3 minutes until the grains are hot and smell toasted.
- 6Add the soy sauce and the peas, if using, and toss for another minute, breaking up lumps with the back of the spatula as you go.
- 7Return the eggs to the wok, cutting them roughly into pieces with the edge of the spatula as you toss everything together.
- 8Season with salt, white pepper and sesame oil, stir the spring onions through and serve straight away.
Tips
- Cold, day-old rice is essential — fresh rice turns mushy.
- Use high heat and keep the rice moving to get that wok flavour.
- Add leftover meat or shrimp to turn it into a fuller meal.
- If your rice was cooked today, spread it on a tray and sit it in front of a fan for 20 minutes, or freeze it for half an hour, to dry the surface.
- Do not dump the soy sauce onto one spot in the middle. Pour it around the rim of the wok so it hits hot metal and caramelises on the way down.
