Prawn Fried Rice

Fried rice was my guilty pleasure of choice in college; greasy, soy sauced deliciousness delivered to my door! It took me years to realize that this was a really simple dish to make at home, as long as you always used at least day old rice - it is a soggy mess if you use freshly cooked!

There are endless variations on this in terms of what veggies to add, but I always keep some frozen peas and corn on hand because they are often my favorite part of the dish, next to the prawns.  But it is also a great dish to clean out your vegetable drawers when things are starting to wane past their prime time. Just make sure to follow the firmness rule; if steaming a vegetable takes 15  plus minutes (broccoli, cauliflower, fennel) than it gets cooked first, and softer ones come later. Toss in the peas and corn with the softest ones (except greens, those always go in at the last second to keep their vibrant color!)

As with all wok meals, cook your proteins first and then make the veggies. This is pure comfort food for me and always brings back pleasant memories of guilty pleasures!

Prawn Fried Rice
(serves 3-4)

8 prawns, peeled and deveined
1 cup peas, frozen is fine
1 cup frozen corn
1 small carrot, diced
1 cup zucchini, diced
2 green onions, cut in thin rounds, whites and greens separated
1 cup brown rice, cooked
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons sesame oil
2 eggs, well beaten
5 tablespoons oil for frying

Have all vegetables prepared and set out in your workspace; also have soy sauce and sesame oil already on the counter. You will make prawns and eggs first, then combine all to make the final dish.

Heat a wok over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the eggs and scramble with a fork, cooking until they are just barely done. Remove eggs from pan and set aside. Scrape out any eggs that may have stuck to pan and wipe clean. Reheat until it smokes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook prawns until they curl up and turn pink but do not overcook; about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and place in same dish with eggs.

Scrape up any bits that may have stuck to wok and reheat until it smokes. Add remaining oil and saute carrot for 2 minutes until it begins to soften. Add whites of green onions, zucchini, corn and peas and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes until veggies begin to soften. Add rice and toss to coat with oil and veggies and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce and sesame oil and toss to coat evenly. Add prawns and egg back to the wok and cook another 1 minute to make sure all are mixed well. Sprinkle green parts of green onions on top and serve immediately.

Hugs!