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Pork and Shrimp Fried Rice

by Pia Schiavo-Campo

Pork & Shrimp Fried Rice

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t LOVE fried rice — even fellow Clacker Jeff has shared his recipe for Grouse fried rice with us. My feeling is that rice is good any way you fix it. My best friend is Filipina, and when we lived together in college, she would make delicious fried rice for breakfast at least once a week. It may seem like an odd choice for breakfast, but it’s a great way to start the day. Think about it — you get eggs, meat, veggies and protein. It’s nutritious brain food, I say!

What I love about this particular dish is that you can improvise with whatever you have in the fridge and freezer. Fried rice is all about the leftovers. Trying to use up those veggies and chicken from last night’s dinner? Then, I offer you fried rice.

I’m a lover of pork, but for those who aren’t, this fried rice can be made sans piggy. Simply add to it whatever inspires you, for a tasty and satisfying meal any time. OK, it goes quickly, so pay attention:

Pork and Shrimp Fried Rice

Ingredients:

4 cups day old cooked rice (white or brown is fine)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn or carrots
1/2 cup onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz Chinese barbequed pork, diced (you can find this at Trader Joe’s now)
6 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the pork in a tiny bit of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. It should be cooked through in about 8 minutes or so depending how large the dice is. Once it’s cooked, remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Leave the pork drippings in the pan and add more oil and the onions, letting them cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, making sure not to burn it. Add the frozen peas, corn and/or carrots and sautee another few minutes until they are thawed through.

At this point, you can add the shrimp. They will cook very quickly — in about 3-4 minutes. Add back the pork, the rice , the soy sauce and a dash of pepper. Mix it well. Then let it sit in the pan for a few minutes while the rice absorbs the flavors and gets a little crunchy.

Now make a well in the middle of the mixture with your spoon. Add the beaten eggs to the well and scramble them directly into the pan. Once they’ve cooked through, give the entire mixture another good toss, and taste it to see if you need additional soy sauce. You’re done. Now it’s time to eat!

I think you’ll become addicted to this simple dish. I look forward to hearing what unique ingredients you decided to use in your fried rice. Until then, I wish you FOODLOVE!