Chinese · China
Fried Rice
Chinese fried rice (chao fan) requires cold, day-old rice. Fresh rice contains too much moisture and clumps together in the wok — cold rice, refrigerated overnight, has dried out slightly so each grain separates and fries rather than steams. The rest is wok hei: the flame-kissed, slightly smoky quality that only extreme heat produces. Eggs, spring onion, soy sauce, and whatever protein is available are secondary to the technique.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
500g
cooked jasmine rice
day-old, grains separated
Your own market
150g
chicken breast
diced small
Your own market
100g
peas and carrots
diced small
Your own market
2
eggs
beaten
Your own market
3 cloves
garlic
minced
Your own market
30ml
soy sauce
5ml
sesame oil
Your own market
2
scallions
sliced thin
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
40ml
neutral oil
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
white pepper
Your own market
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Heat 20ml neutral oil in a wok over high heat until smoking; add minced garlic and fry 20 seconds until fragrant.
2
Add diced chicken and stir-fry 3 minutes until cooked through; push to the sides of the wok.
From the canon — The carbon-steel wok is the fundamental tool of Chinese cooking — not merely a frying pan but a cooking instrument whose specific properties (extreme thermal… The Wok: Seasoning, Maintenance, and Heat Management →
3
Pour beaten eggs into the centre and scramble 1 minute; break into small curds and mix with chicken.
4
Add peas and carrots; toss for 1 minute.
5
Increase heat to maximum; add day-old rice, breaking up clumps with the spatula, and stir-fry 2 minutes.
6
Pour soy sauce and sesame oil over rice; toss continuously for 1 minute until heated through and every grain is coated.
7
Fold in sliced scallions and white pepper; taste and adjust seasoning with soy sauce.
8
Serve immediately in a warm bowl.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where fried rice lives or dies is the soy sauce application technique — drizzle the soy sauce down the hot side of the wok while the rice is pushed to the opposite side. The soy hits the metal first, sizzles and caramelises in 2-3 seconds, then is folded into the rice. This produces the dark, caramelised, complex soy flavour rather than the raw, flat salty flavour of soy added directly.
Pillar V
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The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Baijiu
From British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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