Fried Rice – Barry’s Way

Hey everyone – Barry (the husband) here.  I thought for my first guest post I’d be writing something deep and insightful about being a dad, or maybe something useful about my role as a financial counselor – or maybe even something about my woodworking or something else about which I might consider myself knowledgeable.  But alas, it is not so.  Stacy asked me to write about how to make fried rice.

Before you read any further, please know I cannot compete with my kitchen queen of a wife and would never try to get in her way in the kitchen.  However, once a week, Stacy gives herself a reprieve from cooking the family dinner, instead opting to sit on the couch with her bonbons and forcing me to go to the kitchen and cook something…or something like that.  I have always loved to cook, but I really enjoy this weekly opportunity to remind myself bachelorhood is not for me.  Even though I enjoy doing my weekly dinner assignment, I much prefer to enjoy the fruits of Stacy’s labor.  Anyway, there is one thing I make that Stacy tells me is better than hers – so let’s make some fried rice!

This recipe is really easy and doesn’t dirty many dishes – what’s not to like?  To make it, you’ll need instant brown rice, eggs, a small onion (I only had larger ones, so I just cut it in half or so), butter, salt, olive oil and soy sauce.  To get started, bring some water to a boil so you can start on the rice and, while it is heating up, chop the onion and cry about how you should be on the couch instead of your spouse.

Once your water comes to a boil, add the brown rice.  I used regular brown rice here (not instant), but the consistency of the instant is MUCH better with my method so imagine I’m making instant brown rice. Allow the rice to cook according to the directions on the package.  You’re on the clock here – set your timer for the rice and move on to your other tasks for the recipe.

Break out your large skillet and break three eggs into it.  You want to scramble the eggs, chopping them with your spatula as you go.  Don’t scramble them for too long.  Since we’re going to be adding them back to the rice later we don’t want them to get too dry.  What you see in the picture is about right – light and fluffy is what we’re looking for here.  When they’re scrambled sufficiently, pour them into a medium-sized bowl so we can use them later.

Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel, put it back on the stove and add a small amount (a teaspoon or so) of olive oil.  Turn the heat on high.  When the oil gets hot, add the onions you chopped while your water was heating up for the rice.  You did chop the onion like I told you, right?  That onion deserves to fry!  It made you cry, dang it!  I like to sauté the onion just long enough to blacken a few edges (thus the high heat) but not so much that the onions aren’t crispy any longer.  When they’re sautéed sufficiently to make you happy, pour them into the same bowl with your eggs.

Turn the heat on your stove down to medium-high, then add a little more oil (maybe a tablespoon) to the skillet and wait for the rice to finish.  Once your rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork (the instructions on the box told you to do this or I wouldn’t give you such non-manly advice), then pour it into the skillet.  Add the onion and egg in there.  Now it’s starting to look like something!  Allow the rice to fry, turning it over periodically to coat the rice and mix in the egg/onion.

Once everything is all mixed together, it’s time to add some soy sauce.  I very cautiously measure the amount I’m adding to the rice, ensuring it is exactly….enough….and not too much.  “What’s enough?” you ask. “Whatever tastes right!”  My method is to add some (1/2 cup or so), stir it around and taste the results.  This is the part of the recipe that is sort of like the rum cake recipe you’ve probably seen and wanted to try where you get to sample the rum 15 times along the way.  You can definitely overdo it with soy sauce (or rum), so add a little, then try it, then repeat until you’ve gotten it right or until you’ve eaten all the rice.  If you do this, start over and don’t tell anyone.

See how easy that was? Once it’s done, plate it up, go to your family slightly slumped and looking over-tired and announce that dinner is served.  They’ll appreciate your effort and you might get a few bonbons for dessert.