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1
Separate the eggs. Pour the yolks over the cold day-old rice and work them through with clean hands or a spoon until every grain is coated in yellow — this is the 'gold' of the dish. The rice should look uniformly golden and no yolk should pool at the base of the bowl. Reserve the whites in a separate bowl.
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2
Heat the wok over the highest available flame until it begins to smoke. Add half the spring onion oil and swirl to coat. Add the shrimp and stir-fry rapidly until they turn fully pink and curl — a matter of moments. Remove and set aside. Add the char siu and toss briefly until heated through and fragrant. Remove and set aside. Add the peas and toss until bright green and just tender. Remove and set aside.
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3
Return the wok to high heat. Add the remaining spring onion oil. Pour in the egg whites and scramble quickly, breaking them into small, irregular white curds — these are the 'silver'. Remove immediately before they colour; they should be just set, soft, and glossy.
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4
This is where the dish lives or dies. The wok must be smoking before the rice goes in. Tip the yolk-coated rice into the wok in a single motion and press it against the surface with a spatula. Leave it undisturbed for ten to fifteen seconds — long enough for the underside to catch and crackle — then toss and press again repeatedly. The rice must fry, not steam: each grain should feel dry, separate, and lightly toasted, and a sharp, smoky wok-breath character should be unmistakeable in the rising steam.
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5
Return the shrimp, char siu, peas, and egg white curds to the wok. Season with salt and white pepper. Toss everything together over high heat until fully combined and uniformly hot throughout — the rice should remain fully dry and grain-distinct with no clumping.
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6
Remove from the heat. Scatter the sliced spring onions over and toss once. Taste and adjust salt. The finished rice should carry a clean savouriness with no single element dominant; each grain should remain separate when pressed lightly between thumb and forefinger.