Special Fried Rice
What do you do when you have mountains of leftovers - turkey, lamb or ham? The age old question, just after Christmas. With the lamb or the ham, I would make a casserole with a rich wine or cider sauce, but this recipe is perfect for turkey (or chicken, if you have it). And although I have listed various vegetables, you can use whatever you have in your fridge, as long as you include the beansprouts and spring onions. To me, they're crucial! Also, the quantities are deliberately vague, because it depends on how much of each item you have in your fridge.
RICE
1 pot of pre-cooked basmati rice **
(equivalent to 14 fl ozs of dry rice, enough for 4 people)
SEASONINGS
4 tbsp soy sauce
3 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
THE REST
4 tbsp sunflower oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten (for an omelette)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 chilli, chopped
1 piece of bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
Several broccoli florets
Turkey leftovers, chopped and/or chicken
and/or diced chinese barbecued pork (char sui)
4 or 5 spring onions, including green ends, chopped diagonally
Small bowl of defrosted small cooked prawns
Defrosted frozen peas
Defrosted frozen broad beans (or fresh)
Several leaves of spring greens, shredded small
3/4 bag of beansprouts, washed and drained
This dish is all about preparation. First, mix all the seasonings in a bowl and put aside.
To make an omelette, heat a 8-9 inch omelette pan until hot. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil and pour in the eggs without stirring. Very quickly, the eggs will begin to set. Swirl the mixture around a bit and lift the edges so that the eggs can flow underneath. When ready, quickly flip to the other side to brown slightly. Slide onto a chopping board and cut into strips about 1/4 in. wide.
Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add the remaining 3 1/2 tbsps of oil and stir fry the garlic, chilli, bacon, onion and broccoli until onion and bacon are cooked. Next add the turkey/chicken/pork, spring onions, prawns, peas and broad beans and heat through. Add the spring greens and beansprouts. Finally, the rice goes in last - it will be heated through when you see steam rising. Add the seasonings and mix well. Add the egg strips and cook until heated through.
Eat out of chinese bowls with chopsticks, with sweet chilli sauce and tabasco on the table for those who like it hotter.
** Freshly cooked rice is too moist and soft to fry in a wok. Better to cook the rice the night before, fork it through, leave to cool down completely and keep overnight in the fridge. And using cold rice straight from the fridge is the best way to stir fry it - the grains retain their shape more and do not stick to the wok.