Egg Fried Rice
COURSE Main
CUISINE Chinese-inspired
A batch this size may need an extra 5-10 minutes of simmering to thicken properly - there's more liquid to reduce relative to the pot's surface area.
01Ingredients
02Method
- Stir the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat half the olive oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Beat the eggs, pour them in and cook, stirring, until just set. Tip onto a board and shred or chop into small pieces.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then the carrot and onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add the peas and corn and cook for 2 minutes, then break up the cold rice with your fingers and add it to the pan, stirring and tossing for 3-4 minutes until hot and starting to colour.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the rice and toss until every grain is coated, then stir the shredded egg back through. Taste, and serve straight away.
03Notes & substitutions
- Day-old rice from the fridge works far better than freshly cooked - fresh rice is too wet and clumps. If you have to use fresh, spread it on a tray and cool it in the fridge for an hour first.
- Frozen peas and corn go straight into the pan - no need to thaw them.
- Add leftover chicken, ham, prawns or a few strips of bacon for extra protein.
- Spring onions, a little grated ginger or a clove of crushed garlic added with the carrot all work well.
- Leave out the fish sauce and use a vegetarian oyster-style mushroom sauce for a vegetarian version.
04Common mistakes
- Using freshly cooked rice — it steams and turns gluey instead of frying; use cold, day-old rice or chill it first.
- Cooking the eggs into the rice — scrambling them straight through makes them rubbery and hard to distribute; cooking them separately and shredding gives soft, even pieces.
- Overcrowding the pan — too much rice at once steams rather than fries; use the largest pan you have, or cook in two batches.
- Adding all the sauce at once to a cool pan — the rice goes soggy; make sure the pan is hot and the rice is heated through before the sauce goes in.
05Storage & leftovers
More About This Recipe
07Troubleshooting
- Rice is clumpy or gluey. The rice was fresh or too wet - use cold, day-old rice, and break it up before it goes in the pan.
- Rice is bland. Add another splash of soy sauce at the end, and check the pan was hot enough for the grains to colour.
- Eggs are dry and rubbery. They were cooked too long - take them off the heat as soon as they are just set, because they cook a little more when stirred back in.
- Rice is too salty. Soy and oyster sauces vary a lot - use salt-reduced soy and taste before adding any extra.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need day-old rice?
Cold rice is the key to separate, slightly crisp grains. Rice cooked an hour or more earlier and chilled in the fridge works just as well as rice from yesterday.
Why cook the eggs separately?
Cooking them first and shredding them keeps the pieces soft and evenly spread through the rice, instead of leaving rubbery lumps or coating the grains in a heavy layer of egg.
Can I use fewer eggs?
Yes - 4 eggs still works and gives a lighter result. The 8 eggs in this recipe are written for a household with plenty of hens to keep up with.
Is it safe to keep leftover fried rice?
Only if it is cooled quickly and refrigerated within an hour of cooking, then eaten within a day and reheated until piping hot. Rice left at room temperature can make people ill.