Quick Weeknights · Chinese
Yangzhou Fried Rice
The restrained original: day-old rice, shrimp, char siu and egg, each grain separate, seasoned with almost nothing.
Why This Works
Cold rice has retrograded starch and lost surface moisture, so it fries and separates instead of steaming into mush. Cooking the egg and shrimp separately means neither is overdone by the time the rice is properly hot.
The Upgrade
Season at the end, not the start. Salt added early pulls moisture out of the rice and makes it stick to the wok.
Chef's Secret
Michelin TechniqueKeep the seasoning minimal and skip the dark soy sauce. Yangzhou fried rice is pale on purpose, and the flavor is meant to come from the shrimp, pork and egg rather than the bottle.
Ingredients
Total time including resting: 15 min
Directions
Break the cold rice apart with wet hands until no clumps remain. Every grain should be loose before it hits the wok.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat and scramble the eggs in large soft curds, then tip them out.
Add another tbsp oil and cook the shrimp for 90 seconds until just pink, then remove.
Add the last tbsp oil and the rice. Press and toss it against the hot wok for 3 to 4 minutes until it crackles and no longer clumps.
Add the char siu and peas and toss for 1 minute, then splash in the Shaoxing wine around the rim.
Return the egg and shrimp, season with the salt and white pepper and toss for 1 minute more.
Fold in the scallions off the heat and serve immediately.
Wine Pairing
Dry Furmint
White Wine
The BottleRoyal Tokaji The Oddity Dry Furmint
A delicate, savory rice dish is easy to bulldoze. Dry Furmint has orchard-fruit weight to match the egg and pork but a saline, mineral finish that stays out of the way of the shrimp's sweetness.
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