Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 400g (approx 2 packed cups) cold, day-old cooked jasmine rice
• 3 large free-range eggs, beaten
• 3 spring onions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tbsp (30ml) soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 tsp (5ml) toasted sesame oil
• ½ tsp oyster sauce (optional)
• 2 tbsp (30ml) neutral oil with high smoke point
• White pepper, generous pinch
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted (to garnish)

Smart Substitutions

• ↔Add 150g frozen edamame (shelled) in the final minute of cooking to add 12g plant protein and make this a more substantial vegan-friendly meal (omit eggs)
• ↔Use cauliflower rice instead of jasmine rice for a low-carb version at approximately 200 fewer calories per serving

How to Cook

1. 1

   Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce (if using), and white pepper in a small bowl. Set aside within reach. Break up any large clumps of cold rice with your hands before cooking — cold rice clumps together and even clumps in the wok cook unevenly.

   2 min

   Cold, dry, loose rice is the single most important ingredient requirement. Warm or freshly cooked rice releases steam in the wok and produces mushy, gummy fried rice instead of separate, toasted grains.

2. 2

   Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over maximum heat until it begins to smoke. Add 1 tbsp oil, tilt to coat. Add spring onion whites and garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds — they should sizzle and catch colour immediately.

   1 min

   A smoking-hot wok is non-negotiable. If smoke isn't coming off the pan before you add oil, you will never achieve wok hei (the smoky, charred flavour of great fried rice).

3. 3

   Push aromatics to the side. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the centre. Pour in beaten eggs. Let sit 10 seconds, then scramble rapidly into large, barely-set curds. Before fully cooked, add all the cold rice on top. Press down and toss vigorously — let the rice sit on the hot wok surface for 15–20 seconds between stirs to develop colour and crispiness.

   4 min

   Adding rice directly on top of the barely-set egg means the egg coats every grain of rice as you toss — this is the technique behind the rich, egg-forward flavour in great fried rice.

4. 4

   Pour the soy sauce mixture around the edges of the wok (not directly onto the rice) — the sauce hits the hot wok surface first and caramelizes slightly before mixing in. Add spring onion greens and toss once more to combine. Plate immediately and garnish with sesame seeds.

   2 min

   Pouring sauce around the wok edge instead of directly onto the food is a classical Chinese cooking technique — the sauce hits the hottest part of the wok first, where it caramelizes and creates deeper, more complex flavour before mixing with the rice.