If I have leftover white rice in my fridge, whether it be from the night before or just extra takeout rice. You better believe I’m making fried rice. And I threw shrimp in there for good measure.
It’s so important to make fried rice with day old cooked rice. And leftover rice is just a good excuse to make fried rice anyways, so you’re welcome. It’s so easy and you’ll be shocked that it’ll taste exactly like your favorite Asian restaurant or even better.
Fried rice is just a big stir fry so throw in veggies you have handy; broccoli, zucchini, carrots, frozen peas, bell peppers. Anything goes. Make sure everything is prepped and ready in front of you. Adopting the “Mise En Place” method will make any home cook a pro chef.
Mise en place {MEEZ ahn plahs} is a French term for having all your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking. Pans are prepared. Mixing bowls, tools and equipment set out. It is a technique chefs use to assemble meals so quickly and effortlessly.
Seriously, get in this habit and you’ll enjoy cooking more and it’ll probably cut down on half your time in the kitchen. Which means more time spent eating.
Wine Pairing Recommendation: Pinot Blanc, Riesling, or a light fruity red like Beaujolais.
Shrimp Fried Rice
Using leftover rice is key in this recipe and it's just a good excuse to make fried rice. Add veggies you have on hand like broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, frozen peas. Never skimp on the garlic either. It truly makes it. It's important to have everything chopped on in front of you before you start cooking. This dish comes together fast so have your mise en place ready.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Leftover Cooked White Rice, cold
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil, divided
- 2 whole Eggs, beaten
- 1/2 pound Large Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, for seasoning
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 whole Carrots, diced
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Frozen Peas
- 2-3 tablespoons Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- Green Onion, chopped for garnish
- Sesame Seeds, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 In a wok or large deep pan, heat the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add eggs and scramble until cooked, remove to a bowl and set aside. Add the other 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the shrimp. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Cook 2 minutes per side until pink and no longer opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- Step 2 Add the butter, carrots and onion. Saute until vegetables are soft about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cold rice into the pan and stir to cook. Let the rice fry for a few minutes in the pan. Add frozen peas and soy sauce. Toss to cook and let peas cook in the rice for 1 minute until bright green.
- Step 3 If at this point you’d like a richer fried rice, I add an additional tablespoon of soy sauce.
- Step 4 Turn off heat and add the scrambled egg and cooked shrimp to the pan. Toss combine the egg and shrimp into the fried rice. Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Savor and Enjoy!
