fried rice

Faux Chicken Biryani

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It looks like biryani.
It tastes like biryani.
It smells like biryani.
Alas, it’s not biryani.
As usual when I cook for Bella and myself, a few days ago I cooked too much jasmin rice. The next day, my usual train of thought at first led me to either one of two leftover dishes – fried rice or congee. But I did not really feel like either one of those, so my next choice was this very easy to prepare “faux biryani”.
While a “real biryani is easy enough to prepare, this one was even easier and of course, with the pre-cooked rice at hand, this was the perfect way to utilize the rice and at the same time get a dish that is wonderful, flavorful and beautiful. Naturally, the texture of the rice was different from the real deal, (not inferior, just different), but nevertheless, the dish was a great success, fully enjoyed by Bella and myself 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Faux Dishes on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Chicken on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
Usually, one would steep the saffron in ghee, but because of the relatively high-fat content of the chicken skin which will render into the dish, I replaced the ghee with milk.
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Faux Chicken Biryani

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: marinade 8 ea chicken thighs in 1 cup yogurt, 1 tblsp garam masala and 1 tsp turmeric overnight

: steep 1 gram of “superior Spanish saffron” treads in 1/4 cup warm milk

: marinade julienne of 1/4 large red onion and slices of 1/2 medium size cucumber in 1 tblsp cider vinegar and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: saute julienne of 1 large white onion in 2 tblsp ghee or peanut oil

: add 8 oz diced tomatoes, 1/2 cinnamon stick, 3 ea chilies, 1 ea bay leaf, 1 tblsp grd cumin, 1 tblsp grd coriander, saute until fragrant

: add the chicken, season with kosher salt to taste

: cover and cook SLOWLY for 15 minutes

: turn the chicken

: cover, cook SLOWLY for another 15 minutes

: at this point, check the chicken for doneness, the temperature should be at 155F on the bone

: top with 2 cups cooked rice

: drizzle with half the saffron milk, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tblsp chopped cilantro and 1/2 tsp chopped mint leaves, repeat with another 2 cups of cooked rice, the other half of the saffron milk, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tblsp chopped cilantro and 1/2 tsp chopped mint leaves

: cover and cook SLOWLY for another 5 minutes or until the rice is heated to proper temperature, let the dish rest, covered, for another 5 minutes before serving

: plate the rice on a serving platter

: top the rice with the chicken, garnish with the cucumber and red onions, lemon wedges (optional) and more chillies (optional)

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

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Nasi Goreng

Restaurant Version Nasi Goreng >

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Nasi Goreng can be had in one version or another in many Asian countries. Actually, it is the national dish of Indonesia, where it can be eaten at any time of the day from road side hawker carts to 5 star restaurants and in any home.
As with so many Asian dishes I learned about in Germany the 60’s, the”Nasi Goreng” of my youth was usually made with curry powder, which qualified the dish as “exotic” :-).
In later years, while working and travelling in Asia, I got to know the real stuff, usually seasoned with sambal ulek and kecup manis, garlic, sauteed and fried shallots and soy sauce.
However, even back then when I was a kid and enjoyed the curry powder versions, the standard accompaniments (Garniture) were the same as you’d find in a good restaurant then and now anywhere around the world, where appearance is almost as important as taste : Kroepek (shrimp crackers), sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, fried eggs, fried shallots and satay’s with peanut sauce.
Today, after coming home from work, “Garniture” was not in the forefront of my mind but rather a hearty, spicy, quick to prepare dish which would hit all the buttons of my culinary lust 🙂
So here it is : Nasi goreng without the bells & whistles but at it’s tastiest !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
As you can see in the picture, I used fresh-cooked rice. Day old rice is of course preferable for any fried rice, including nasi goreng, but I needed to have my fix NOW.
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Click here for more Fried Rice on ChefsOpinion
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Nasi Goreng

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: stir fry 1 1/2 cup diced chicken and 1 1/2 cup peeled and deveined shrimp in 2 tblsp peanut oil, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste; add 2 sliced medium hot chilis, 1 small finely sliced onion 3 cups cooked rice, 1 tsp sambal olek, 1/2 tsp garlic paste, 2 tsp kecap manis, 1 tsp soy sauce

: add kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, stir fry until well mixed and the rice starts to “pop”, check/adjust seasoning; put the nasi goreng on a serving dish, sprinkle with fried shallots

: top nasi goreng with 3 fried eggs, sprinkle with chili flakes and sliced scallions; serves 3

: Nasi Goreng

: Nasi Goreng

: Nasi Goreng

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Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

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Yes. I’ve said it – The Ultimate ! The Best ! # 1 !
Some of you might not agree with me, but I can tell you, chances are that this is the best beef fried rice you will ever come across. Period 🙂
It will certainly be different from the fried rice you’ll get at your neighborhood joint and most probably will come close to what you will get in the best of Chinese restaurants or maybe even be better than that. Arrogant I am not. 🙂 But honestly, this was by far the tastiest, best textured fried rice I ever prepared or tasted anywhere, including Asia.
To be real, I know there is better out there, but I myself was not able to find it (Yet).
Maybe the fact that I used leftover sushi rice from yesterday’s chirashi sushi dinner made the big difference. It made it possible to add more moisture to the rice as is normally done while keeping its great texture and not get mushy. Using beef tenderloin was also different, as well as using more than usual egg in the rice. Whatever it was, it worked and made for a simple yet spectacular enjoyable lunch.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Fan Recipe
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Click here for Sushi Rice Recipe
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Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

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Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: sushi rice, substitute with fan if preferred

: cut beef tenderloin head and tips into dice

: season with soy sauce, granulated garlic, chili paste and cornstarch, let marinade for at least four hours

: soy sauce, chili paste, grated ginger, garlic paste, sugar, sesame oil

: add green peas, kernel corn, sliced scallion and chopped cilantro to sauce

: whisk whole eggs, season with kosher salt

: cook to soft texture, set aside

: saute beef in very hot peanut oil until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside, set aside

: stir fry rice until starting to “pop”

: add beef and sauce to rice, stir fry until fragrant

: check / adjust seasoning

: add scrambled eggs, stir fry another minute

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

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Shrimp And Lap Cheong Fried Rice

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Leftover rice –
soup, congee or fried rice ? – that was the question ! 🙂
Well, this time the decision came easy because I also had a few slices of cooked ham and a few small shrimp in my fridge, along with some peppers and fresh eggs. And besides, I’ll have a good fried rice anytime 🙂
This version is very simple and only takes a couple of minutes to prep and execute. Just make sure you use day-old rice – fresh cooked rice is too moist and will not result in good fried rice !
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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Shrimp And Lap Cheong Fried Rice

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: shrimp, lap cheong, peppers

: stir fry finely diced onions, grated ginger and garlic paste in peanut oil

: add shrimp, lap cheong and peppers, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, remove from oil, set aside

: add day-old cooked rice to oil, stir fry until rice makes popping sound

: move rice to one side of wok / pan, add more peanut oil, stir fry whisked eggs until scrambled

: mix rice and eggs, season with salt, pepper

: mix all previously stir fried ingredients with rice / egs, add sesame oil and a few drops of chili oil

: add sliced scallions, stir fry for another few minutes, check / adjust seasoning

: Shrimp And Lap Cheong Fried Rice

: Shrimp And Lap Cheong Fried Rice

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Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

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This was one of Maria’s favorite dishes. Whenever we went to have chinese food at a restaurant or when she wanted to have something special at home, she would ask for salt & pepper scallops or salt & pepper shrimp.
So, enjoying this meal tonight was a bittersweet affair. I really loved the food, but it is so damn tough to be reminded of a lost loved one all day long, by everything one see’s, hear’s and does, even by the food one eat’s. At least I had Bella next to me , sharing the food and giving me good company 🙂
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For the scallops, season with kosher salt, five spice powder, white pepper, ground szechuan peppercorn and granulated garlic. Mix egg white and rice flour into a thin batter, dredge scallops in it and saute in peanut oil until cooked almost through. Remove and rest on absorbent paper until serving.
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For the rice, saute garlic paste, finely diced onion and grated ginger in peanut oil until fragrant. Add day-old rice and fry until rice starts to puff. Make a well, add more peanut oil and scramble some whisked eggs in it until set. Add sliced scallion, kosher salt, white pepper and sesame oil. Stir fry until all ingredients are well mixed. Check seasoning. Adjust if necessary.
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To serve, top the rice with scallops and sprinkle with finely sliced scallions

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good ! (even when it’s sad sometimes)
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Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

: Egg fried rice

: Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

: Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

: Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

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Arroz Fritto ” Carlos Ayala “

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This dish is dedicated to my dear friend Carlos, who is Argentinian and loves his chorizo and chimichurri 🙂

Tonight my cupboard and fridge were not exactly over stocked, so here is what I had and used to make this hearty, tasty dish:
Rice,
Argentinian chorizo,
Eggs
Scallions,
Bell peppers,
Garlic,
Onion,
Olive oil,
Chimichurri,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the chorizo and saute until the onions and garlic start to turn golden. Add the peppers and scallions and saute for another minute. Remove, set aside. Wipe the pan ( or Wok) clean with a paper towel. Add more olive oil and saute rice until it starts to “pop”. Make a whole in the center of rice. Add a bit more oil. Scramble your whisked eggs until fairly dry. Mix with rice and sausage / vegetables, saute (stir fry) together for a few more minutes until rice is light, fluffy and fairly dry. To serve, top with more scallions and chimichurri .
And there you have it, ” the other fried rice ” :
” Argentinian Style Fried Rice A La Carlos Ayala ”
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Arroz Fritto ” Carlos Ayala “

: Arroz Fritto ” Carlos Ayala “

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Imperial Fried Rice

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Time to get excited about fried rice 🙂
No, not the cabbage and soy sauce laden one you get for two bucks at your corner chinese restaurant. No, I am talking about my treasure chest of a fried rice which has a whole bunch of goodies in it. Each one (shrimp,chicken, lap cheong, ham, eggs, vegetables), fried on it’s own with rice would make a good fried rice, but here the combination of all of this stuff together makes it a truly memorable dish.
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Imperial Fried Rice

: Imperial Fried Rice

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Ingredient’s :

Fan (飯),   day old chinese steamed rice (Recipe Here)
Chicken,   cubed
Shrimp,   peeled, tail on
Ham,   diced
Lap cheong, fresh, unsmoked
Scallion,   sliced
Bean sprouts,
Red/green bell peppers,   diced
Onions,   diced
Kernel corn,   blanched
Green peas,   blanched
Eggs,   whisked
Garlic,   paste
Ginger,   grated
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,
Sesame oil,
Peanut oil,   to stir fry

Method :

Season protein and vegetables with salt and cayenne pepper. Saute (stir fry) chicken in oil until medium, remove chicken. Saute shrimp, ham and sausage until shrimp are 3/4 cooked, remove. Saute vegetables, ginger and garlic until fragrant, add rice, fry until rice starts to puff a bit. Form a whole in the center, add more peanut oil, add the eggs. Styr fry until the eggs have set, return proteins to the rice and stir fry until rice starts to pop again. Add bean sprouts, season with sesame oil, salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle with scallions and more bean sprouts.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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