Turn rice-wise

My weekly call to a favourite Chinese takeout place for delivery, usually on a night I'm particularly tired, hungry and a little cranky (a combination I call “hangry''), comes at a price.

And I'm not talking about the typical $18 or $19 (Dh66 to Dh70) bill. I'm talking about all that leftover rice.

The restaurant's minimum requirement for delivery forces me to get two entrées and save one for another day.

And since I try to eat no more than a cup of rice with the meal the first time around, that leaves another two or three cups sitting in my fridge, drying out and hardening as the days go by.

Using it another day

I'm trying to be more frugal, so rather than toss those telltale red-and-white cardboard containers when they're half-full, I transfer the rice to zip-top bags and freeze it, or I plan yet another rice-oriented meal within a few days.

My longtime strategy has been an off-the-cuff version of traditional fried rice, throwing those little white grains into my non-stick sauté pan along with leftover meat and maybe some veggies, then tossing it around until things seemed done, more or less.

But that started to feel too uninspired to do very often.

So I decided to raise my fried-rice game. More than anything, I needed a good recipe or two, based on a solid technique and flavour base yet easily adaptable to the ever-changing contents of my fridge's crisper, which should probably be renamed the “rotter''.

The recipes came from cookbooks by authors with chops: Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid's book Seductions of Rice and Grace Young's The Breath of a Wok.

From Alford and Duguid, I developed an instant addiction to a classic Thai-style fried rice spiked with fish sauce, chilli peppers, lime juice and cilantro, particularly once I tried the authors' suggestion to top it with a runny-yolk egg; the dish became rounded, creamy and indulgent in addition to the requisite hot, sour, sweet.

Efficient protein source

From Young, I boned up on my stir-frying technique and learned an easier way to add an egg to fried rice.

Because I'm a firm believer in an egg as the solo cook's most efficient protein source (less perishable than fresh or cooked meat, individually portioned, quick cooking), I had my two new go-to dishes.

I'm loving the ability to make something for myself in a matter of minutes that doesn't produce further leftovers. Anything that so effectively soothes my hangry mood is worth it.

— Los Angeles Times-Washington Post
News Service

INFORMATION

Consume fast

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, a bacterium common in rice makes it particularly important that, once cooked, the rice be consumed or refrigerated within two hours and used within three days.

Japanese cookbook author Elizabeth Andoh recommends freezing cooked rice for up to a month in resealable plastic food storage bags.

To defrost the rice, place the opened bag on a microwave-safe plate; heat on high for 60 to 90 seconds or until the rice has thawed.

RECIPE

Thai fried rice with egg

Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a drop of water vapourises.

Swirl in the oil to coat the sides and bottom, then add the garlic and stir-fry for about 20 seconds, until the garlic is just golden.

Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for about 1 to two minutes, until they have softened. Add the rice, breaking it up with your fingers as you toss it into the wok.

Use a heatproof spatula to keep the rice moving for two to three minutes, scooping and tossing and pressing the rice against the bottom and sides of the wok to sear it.

Add the scallions, tomato, fish sauce and soya sauce; stir-fry for 30 seconds or until the tomatoes break up and the scallions slightly soften.

Transfer the mixture to a dinner plate. Wipe out the wok and return it to the heat. Break the egg into a small bowl, then gently add to the wok.

Add the water, then cover and cook for one or two minutes, or until the yolk lightly films over but is still soft.

Carefully lift out the egg and place it atop the rice. Garnish with the cilantro, overlapping cucumber slices and wedges of lime.

Fried rice with cauliflower and egg

This preparation uses half the amount of rice typically called for in fried-rice recipes.

The cauliflower and red bell pepper may be replaced with mushrooms, broccoli, summer squash or zucchini, but in that case the stir-fry time might need to be adjusted.

Ingredients

Heat a 14-inch, flat-bottomed wok over high heat for several minutes, until a bead of water dropped in vapourises within a couple of seconds.

Swirl in the oil to coat the sides and bottom, then add the garlic, ginger and scallions, and use a heat-proof spatula to stir-fry for about 20 seconds.

Add the rice, breaking it up with your fingers as you toss it into the wok.

Use the spatula to keep the rice moving for two to three minutes, scooping and tossing and pressing the rice against the bottom and sides of the wok to sear it.

Add the cauliflower and red bell pepper; stir-fry for two to three minutes or until they slightly soften. Make a well in the mixture to expose the bottom of the wok.

Break the egg into a small bowl, then pour into the centre of the wok; immediately break it up with the spatula, then stir-fry to incorporate it throughout the rice and vegetables. Cook for about a minute or until the egg is almost cooked through (but still wet).

Add the soya sauce and pepper to taste; stir-fry for 30 seconds or so. Serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving (using brown rice): 21g fat, 3g saturated fat, 212mg cholesterol, 310mg sodium, dietary fibre.

— Loosely based on a recipe in The Breath of a Wok by Grace Young

SPICE

To hot to handle

Cookbook authors Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid say they are addicted to nam pla prik, a Thai condiment made of fish sauce and hot peppers that they keep in their refrigerator at all times.

To make it their way, don food-safe gloves and stem about 1/2 cup of Thai/bird chili peppers, then mince.

(Alternatively, place the peppers in a food processor and pulse a few times, being careful not to puree them.) Transfer the peppers, including seeds, to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid; add 1 cup of fish sauce.

Close tightly and refrigerate indefinitely. (The longer the mixture keeps, the more both ingredients will mellow.) Serve in small condiment bowls. Rather than make fresh batches, Alford and Duguid replenish their longtime stash from time to time with additional fish sauce or chili peppers.