I have finally perfected my quest for the perfect home cooked fried rice! Okay, before all you Asian's start comparing my fried rice with your grandma's recipe from the Ming Dynasty - this is my version - and in my humble opinion, a pretty darn good one. I usually make my fried rice by sauteing day-old white rice with garlic and onions and then incorporating all the colorful ingredients like carrots, spring onions and anything else I have in the fridge that looks good.
A French chef, Jean Georges Vongerichten, of all people, inspired this bowl of Asian goodness. Chef Jean Georges' version is so pure in it's simplicity, adding anything else to the leeks, crispy garlic and ginger is pretty close to committing a culinary mortal sin - unless of course, you're Asian - and the temptation of adding one (or two) more ingredients to help bring back one's childhood days - is a temptation too good to pass up. So here it is, the Perfect Fried Rice according to Jean Georges and George.
Saute the garlic and ginger until crisp and brown. Pat dry with a paper towel and set aside.
On a separate pan, saute the leeks until soft.
Add the day-old rice to the leeks. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and salt to taste. Done! Place the rice in a bowl and top with the crispy garlic and ginger. And don't forget the fried egg to top off the dish. This is the Jean Georges' way.
For Chinese style, add some sauteed Chinese sausage which is absolutely a delicious ingredient.
Or for Filipino style, shred your left over chicken adobo (chicken cooked in garlic, bay leaves, soy sauce and vinegar) pieces and fry until crisp. The adobo flakes add a different dimension and texture to the fried rice plus it looks great on the plate.
So here is the evolution of the perfect fried rice. Let me know which one you like the best:
The Classic Jean Georges
The Filipino Fried Rice with Adobo Flakes
The French, Filipino & Chinese Fusion Fried Rice
And the Classic George Fried Rice with all of the above and a perfectly cooked fried egg.
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