Preparing Chinese Wedding Rice: A Step-By-Step Guide

Chinese fried rice is a tasty, quick, and easy dish to make. It is a great way to use up leftover rice and vegetables, and it can be customised with your favourite ingredients. The key to making delicious fried rice is to use cold, leftover rice, and to cook it on high heat to get that golden-brown colour and texture. You can use butter or oil to cook your vegetables and aromatics, and then add in your rice, protein, and soy sauce. Finally, toss in some toasted sesame oil for flavour, and you're done!

Using cold rice

Once you have your cold rice, you can start making your Chinese fried rice. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Scramble the Eggs

Using a small pat of butter, scramble some eggs in a large sauté pan, breaking them into small pieces as you go. Then, transfer the eggs to a separate plate and set them aside.

Step 2: Sauté the Veggies and Garlic

Return your sauté pan to the heat and sauté onions, carrots, peas, and garlic until soft and cooked through. You can also add other vegetables of your choice, such as bell peppers, broccoli, or cabbage.

Step 3: Stir-Fry the Rice

Turn the burner to high heat. Move the veggies to one side of the pan, melt the remaining butter, and add the chilled rice, soy sauce, and oyster sauce (if using). Stir to combine with the veggies and continue sautéing the rice, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until you notice the rice and veggies starting to brown slightly.

Step 4: Add the Green Onions, Sesame Oil, and Scrambled Eggs

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the green onions, sesame oil, and scrambled eggs. Give the rice a taste and season with salt and pepper, and add extra soy sauce or sesame oil if needed.

Step 5: Serve

Serve your Chinese fried rice immediately while it is still warm. You can also refrigerate it in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Adding butter

Selecting the Right Butter

Choose a good quality butter, preferably unsalted, as it will enhance the natural sweetness of the rice. If you are using salted butter, be mindful of the amount of salt you add later in the cooking process.

Preparing the Butter

Measure out the desired amount of butter. For a large batch of rice, 3 tablespoons of butter is usually sufficient. However, if you are making a smaller portion, adjust the amount of butter accordingly. You can always add more butter later if needed.

Melting the Butter

Place a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt completely. You want the butter to melt gently, so avoid using high heat as it can burn easily.

Sautéing the Ingredients

Once the butter has melted, it's time to add your aromatics. Finely chop a yellow onion and gently sauté it in the butter for 5-6 minutes. This will infuse the butter with a subtle oniony flavor. You can also add other ingredients like garlic or ginger at this stage for extra depth of flavor.

Coating the Rice

After the onion has softened, it's time to add the rice. Stir the rice grains into the melted butter, making sure each grain is well coated. This step is crucial as it ensures that the butter flavor permeates every grain of rice.

Adding Liquid and Seasoning

Pour in your choice of liquid, such as chicken stock or vegetable broth. You can also use water if preferred. Add a bay leaf and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Remember, if using salted butter or broth, go easy on the salt to avoid over-seasoning.

Cooking the Rice

Cover the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low and let the rice simmer. Follow the cooking instructions on your rice package, but reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes. This will ensure that the rice doesn't overcook and turn mushy.

Steaming and Fluffing

After the rice has finished cooking, turn off the heat but keep the pot on the hot burner for about 10 minutes. This allows the rice to steam and prevents it from scorching. Finally, remove the bay leaf, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve it as desired. You can also add some dried parsley flakes for extra flavor and color.

Tips for Variation

If you want to give your Chinese wedding rice a unique twist, try using brown butter instead of regular butter. Simply melt the butter and cook it until the milk solids turn a deep brown color, adding a nutty aroma and flavor to the rice. Additionally, you can experiment with different types of rice, such as basmati or jasmine, to find your preferred texture and taste.

Using toasted sesame oil and oyster sauce

Toasted sesame oil and oyster sauce are both key ingredients in making Chinese wedding rice. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to make it:

Ingredients:

• Toasted sesame oil
• Oyster sauce
• Cold, day-old rice (preferably long-grain white rice or jasmine rice)
• Eggs
• Vegetables of your choice (e.g. carrots, onions, peas, garlic)
• Soy sauce
• Butter or neutral oil (e.g. avocado oil, peanut oil)
• Green onions (for garnish)

Instructions:

• Heat some butter or neutral oil in a large skillet or wok.
• Add beaten eggs to the pan and scramble them until they are cooked. Remove the eggs from the pan and set them aside.
• Add your choice of vegetables to the pan. Cook until they are tender, usually around 3-4 minutes.
• Toss in the cold rice, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes, allowing the rice to brown slightly.
• Return the scrambled eggs to the pan and stir everything together.
• Finally, add the toasted sesame oil and mix well. The sesame oil should be added at the end, as it is a finishing oil rather than a cooking oil.
• Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.

Tips:

• It is important to use cold, day-old rice as it helps achieve the right texture. Freshly cooked rice tends to be too wet and can make the dish clumpy.
• When adding the toasted sesame oil, be cautious as a little goes a long way. It has a strong flavour and a low smoke point, so it should not be heated too much.
• You can also experiment with other ingredients like chicken, shrimp, tofu, or different types of vegetables to make the dish your own!

Cooking on high heat

Cooking fried rice on high heat is essential to achieving that sought-after toasty, golden-brown colour and flavour.

First, preheat your wok or pan on high heat. You'll know it's hot enough when a bead of water evaporates on contact. Next, add your oil of choice and swirl it around to coat the surface.

Now, it's time to add your aromatics and proteins. If you're using garlic, add it now and stir-fry until it's golden. You can also add chopped onions and stir-fry them until they're nicely browned. If you're including meat, add it along with any other vegetables and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.

The key to cooking fried rice on high heat is to keep the ingredients moving. Vigorously toss and combine the ingredients to ensure even cooking and to prevent sticking.

Once you've added your rice, continue stir-frying and tossing for about three minutes or until you notice the rice and veggies starting to brown. If you're a fan of crispy rice, let it rest for a bit between stirs to allow it to brown slightly on the bottom.

Finally, add your sauces and seasonings, such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Give everything a good stir, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.

And that's it! You've created a delicious Chinese-style fried rice with that signature high-heat flavour and texture.

Scrambling eggs

Firstly, you will need to heat some oil in a wok or a large sauté pan. Use a small pat of butter or around half a tablespoon of vegetable or another cooking oil. You can also add aromatics such as garlic at this stage for extra flavour.

Next, add your eggs to the pan. You will need one or two eggs, depending on how many people you are serving. Lightly beat the eggs and scramble them in the pan, breaking them into small pieces as you go. You can add a small amount of soy sauce to the eggs at this stage, if you wish. Once the eggs are cooked, transfer them to a separate plate and set aside.

Now, you can add your other ingredients to the pan. This could include vegetables such as carrots, onions, peas, and garlic, as well as your choice of protein, such as chicken, shrimp, or pork. Stir-fry these ingredients for a few minutes until they are cooked through.

Finally, add your cooked rice to the pan and toss all the ingredients together. You will need around three to four cups of cooked and chilled rice. Add soy sauce and toss the rice to coat. You can also add sesame oil and green onions at this stage. Continue to stir-fry the rice for a few minutes until it is heated through and slightly browned.

And that's it! You can now serve your Chinese fried rice and enjoy.

Frequently asked questions