Fried rice is a quick, easy, and tasty way to make a meal out of leftover rice (always common in Asian households) and the sorry bits of vegetables lying around in your fridge at the end of the week. But I love the dish so much I always cook extra rice.
The versatility and popularity of the dish across Asia means there are tons of possibilities when it comes to fried rice; you can change it up simply through your choice of sauces, seasonings and aromatic ingredients. Combine fragrant ginger and toasted sesame oil for the classic egg fried rice; throw in chopped kimchi for a hot and piquant Korean version or add fiery sambal and sweet kecap manis for nasi goreng. You aren’t limited to the traditional repertoire of flavours; I often use bacon lardons to lend a rich, salty, smoky depth of flavour and an unashamedly British twist.
A good fried rice doesn’t need much embellishment. The main star of this show is the rice. Each grain should be beautifully coated with flavour and fragrance. There are just a few principles – or rather tricks – that you’ll need to watch out for: