Fried Rice (Better Than Takeaway)

The secret to fried rice that's actually good — better than takeaway, I mean it — is heat and restraint. The heat needs to be as high as your stove can manage. The restraint is about not crowding the pan, not adding too much sauce, and not stirring constantly when you should be letting things sit and develop colour.

The eggs are the other critical factor. In Chinese fried rice, the egg gets added to the rice and moves through it in small pieces — not scrambled separately and then mixed in. Add the egg to the rice, stir immediately, and keep moving it until it sets in ribbons through the grains.

This is a use-what-you-have kind of dish. The protein can be anything — diced leftover chicken, a handful of prawns, Chinese barbecue pork (char siu) from the Asian grocer. Or just egg alone, which is the version my daughter requests most often. We serve it with chilli oil on the table and call it dinner.

Ingredients

• 3 cups day-old cooked jasmine rice
• 3 eggs
• 200g cooked protein (chicken, prawns or char siu)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• Chilli oil to serve

Method

Step 1

Break the rice up with your hands so there are no clumps. Have all ingredients ready beside the stove. Heat a wok or large heavy pan over maximum heat until smoking.

Step 2

Add the oil. Add the garlic and stir for 20 seconds. Add the protein and peas and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Step 3

Add the rice and spread it out. Let it sit without stirring for 1 minute so it starts to crisp on the bottom. Then stir and flatten again. Repeat once more.

Step 4

Make a well in the centre. Crack in the eggs and stir immediately until they begin to set, then fold through the rice quickly. Pour in the soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Toss everything together. Scatter with spring onions and serve with chilli oil.