Special Fried Rice with Prawns or Chicken

Just thinking about this dish makes me hungry.  It is quick and easy and I add whatever is to hand that sort of fits with the Chinese vibe.  I think I first cooked this type of dish using a Ken Hom recipe dating back to 1996, which gave me the confidence to experiment.  All hail Ken!  I'm using King Prawns as a bit of a treat but the small pre cooked frozen prawns work well too.  Just watch the salt and chopsticks at the ready!

This was the end result - I was quite chuffed.

Ingredients

Cooked and cooled basmati rice for 4 people.  Ideally, chilled for a couple of hours if you can but I'm usually too busy to plan this. 

Frozen peas

Prawns of your choice or shredded cooked chicken

Half a tin of sweetcorn

4 spring onions, sliced thinly

Finely diced carrot, courgette, red pepper, mushrooms, broccoli or whatever takes your fancy

I teasp each of garlic and ginger, finely chopped

5 spice powder, half a teasp

Soy sauce, a generous glug or three

Ground black pepper

Optional red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced for added kick. 

2 tbsp of peanut oil or sunflower oil

If you want it to become egg fried rice, then I make a thin omelette using 1 beaten egg, a tbsp of water, a teasp of sesame oil, once cooked I roll it up into a sausage and chop it into small pieces, adding it to the rice for the last minute of cooking. 

Method

Heat your wok or large frying pan until it is really hot, then add the oil, garlic and ginger for a few seconds moving all the time so it doesn't burn.  

Next add the drained cooled rice and keep it moving in the pan until really hot, then start to add your other chosen ingredients.  Cook for another 5 minutes on a high heat.  Then add the 5 spice, soy sauce and egg if used and combine it all together.  Add black pepper to taste.  Once the veg is cooked how you like it then add the cooked prawns or chicken and cook for another minute so they are heated through.  Serve with a flourish in a bowl garnished with the spring onions and some soy sauce on the side.  We use chopsticks but a spoon works just as well.