Chicken fried rice tips?

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UTH

Original Poster:

9,954 posts

188 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
In an effort to eat healthier in the early part of the week, I've added this recipe to my repertoire: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_frie...

I've made it three or four times, and very happy with it overall, the only thing I find is that it's a little drier than perhaps I'd like. The only liquid that goes into it is soy sauce and sesame oil. Too much soy sauce will make it very salty, and I'm guessing too much oil will just make it oily rather than moist? Any obvious thing I'm missing to give it a bit more moisture?

I make mine with rice that I cook as per packet instructions around 2pm and let it dry out until 6/7pm......

nebpor

3,753 posts

245 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
I whisk together dark and light soy, water and oyster sauce and a bit of brown sugar. Otherwise replace oyster sauce with Ketjap Manis (available in most supermarkets)

I add this once it's all mixed together, then stick lid on the wok for 5 mins

Always comes out nicely moist.

nebpor

3,753 posts

245 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
That recipe misses an important step - once your rice is cooled, before you put it in the wok, mix it with soy sauce so it's all covered, before then adding it to the pan

UTH

Original Poster:

9,954 posts

188 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
nebpor said:
I whisk together dark and light soy, water and oyster sauce and a bit of brown sugar. Otherwise replace oyster sauce with Ketjap Manis (available in most supermarkets)

I add this once it's all mixed together, then stick lid on the wok for 5 mins

Always comes out nicely moist.
Ahhhh ok interesting, so basically adding an actual 'sauce' to the whole thing? I must say I was surprised reading the recipe that there isn't any sort of sauce added to it apart from the splash of soy sauce, so maybe no surprise it's quite dry.

nebpor

3,753 posts

245 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
Yes! Like you I suffered from it always being dry, but once I was making more and more Asian food I started understanding what I could get away with - and it worked!

I forgot to say I also add a teaspoon of fish sauce to my sauce mix as well - it all comes together lovely. You'll get a more aromatic Thai/Indo-style rice

There is enough rice that the sauce ends up soaked up

UTH

Original Poster:

9,954 posts

188 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
Nice one, will pick up some Oyster sauce today, got everything else

What sort of amount are we talking? I'm only cooking for one, so I'm thinking a couple of table spoons of this mix?

rodericb

7,465 posts

136 months

Monday 19th June 2023
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Are you using thigh meat? If you get sliced up chicken bits from the shop they can be breast meat. Supermarket chicken can have a bit of water which will disappear if you cook it too quickly or something, which is how one should use a wok (blazing hot). So cooking slower and with less heat so it's sort of cooking in its own juices tends to keep the moisture in the meat. Leave it to cook and don't turn it much. You want it to get to temperature so that it's technically cooked and then you finish it off in the wok, with the blazing heat, with the rest of the ingredients.

Real wok cooks do it all in the wok in a sequence and the timing and moving the elements around the wok is the trick. Which you could learn.

nebpor

3,753 posts

245 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
UTH said:
Nice one, will pick up some Oyster sauce today, got everything else

What sort of amount are we talking? I'm only cooking for one, so I'm thinking a couple of table spoons of this mix?
Yes - couple of table spoons is ample


UTH

Original Poster:

9,954 posts

188 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
rodericb said:
Are you using thigh meat? If you get sliced up chicken bits from the shop they can be breast meat. Supermarket chicken can have a bit of water which will disappear if you cook it too quickly or something, which is how one should use a wok (blazing hot). So cooking slower and with less heat so it's sort of cooking in its own juices tends to keep the moisture in the meat. Leave it to cook and don't turn it much. You want it to get to temperature so that it's technically cooked and then you finish it off in the wok, with the blazing heat, with the rest of the ingredients.

Real wok cooks do it all in the wok in a sequence and the timing and moving the elements around the wok is the trick. Which you could learn.
Yeah I've recently moved to using thigh instead of breast, definitely nicer meat!
I do it all in a wok, following the stages of that recipe, cooking bits then leaving them to the side etc.


Type R Tom

4,065 posts

159 months

Monday 19th June 2023
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If you are going to a Chinese supermarket, don't forget the MSG.

Plus, get a jar of chilli crisp; it's addictive.

UTH

Original Poster:

9,954 posts

188 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
Type R Tom said:
If you are going to a Chinese supermarket, don't forget the MSG.

Plus, get a jar of chilli crisp; it's addictive.
I just go to my Sainsbury's near me, their Asian aisle is really impressive, not come across anything they don't have. Will have a look for MSG next time.

Type R Tom

4,065 posts

159 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
UTH said:
Type R Tom said:
If you are going to a Chinese supermarket, don't forget the MSG.

Plus, get a jar of chilli crisp; it's addictive.
I just go to my Sainsbury's near me, their Asian aisle is really impressive, not come across anything they don't have. Will have a look for MSG next time.
I would recommend you go to a Chinese supermarket if you can, the prices are considerably cheaper (per ml for example) and there will be loads of different stuff you wouldn't see in a normal one. I usually end up spending a fortune.

TGCOTF-dewey

6,014 posts

65 months

Monday 19th June 2023
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MSG is essential for fried rice. It transforms the taste.

Use peanut oil to cook with too.

21TonyK

12,087 posts

219 months

Monday 19th June 2023
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Type R Tom said:
I usually end up spending a fortune.
I did this the other day. Popped out to pick up a new telly for the kitchen and realised there was an "international supermarket" in the road behind Richer Sounds... £45 of mini pappadums and jaggery later.

cml24

1,462 posts

157 months

Monday 19th June 2023
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TGCOTF-dewey said:
MSG is essential for fried rice. It transforms the taste.

Use peanut oil to cook with too.
I've used Knorr Aromat seasoning when i've not been able to get to a chinese supermarket previously. Its basically salt and MSG and goes alright in rice.

UTH

Original Poster:

9,954 posts

188 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
cml24 said:
TGCOTF-dewey said:
MSG is essential for fried rice. It transforms the taste.

Use peanut oil to cook with too.
I've used Knorr Aromat seasoning when i've not been able to get to a chinese supermarket previously. Its basically salt and MSG and goes alright in rice.
Well, I DID pick up some of that today, so I'll whack some in.

bigpriest

1,865 posts

140 months

Monday 19th June 2023
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Some Chinese recipes 'velvet the chicken' to prevent dryness, personally the texture isn't for me.

Murph7355

39,345 posts

266 months

Monday 19th June 2023
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Not authentic, but I quite like a simple version....

Cook the rice. Sesame oil and some butter in a frying pan. Heat it up, beat an egg into it. Add the rice (warm). Some peas. Cooked chicken. Some chilli flakes. Stir it all round until it's hot.

Serve.

Add a good dose of light soy.

Takes about 5mins and tastes great.

Have added left over sweetcorn before and that works too. As does diced pork (though for that, I like to add a mix of fish sauce, lime juice and sugar too).

RBS Bob

368 posts

154 months

Monday 19th June 2023
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If you have TikTok.

BoHolland cooks wonderful quick and easy Thai.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJC6bWSD/

DoubleSix

12,126 posts

186 months

Monday 19th June 2023
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Cook your rice the day before and leave in fridge uncovered.