Shrimp Fried Rice - Everyday Annie

Shrimp fried rice has been my standard order when we have Chinese food for as long as I remember. Oh, every once in a while I switch it up with chicken and broccoli or something else, but this is my default favorite. In college there was a wonderfully cheap restaurant just down the block that had great shrimp fried rice and I probably had it once a week. Of course, with that (tsk, tsk) styrofoam container came a lot of grease as well. I’m thrilled to have learned to make this dish at home! No wasteful take-out containers and no pool of grease…and wouldn’t you know it, it was even better than take-out. Even Andrew loved it. Who knew a 16-month old would be gobbling up shrimp fried rice?! As much fun as it was to make all his baby food, we’re very happy to have him eating table food now, and we’re thrilled that he is not a picky eater.A few quick tips regarding the recipe – first and foremost, it is very important to use previously cooked, leftover rice. If you use freshly cooked rice you will end up with a gloppy mess. Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking, because things move quickly once you get going. Also, use high heat to cook the ingredients, but avoid constantly poking and prodding at the food as it cooks. The various ingredients need decent contact with the pan to allow them to cook appropriately.

And on a slightly related note, since the baby food recipes have ceased for the time being, here is a picture of my not-so-little foodie just because I think it’s been too long :)

Yield about 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 stalks green onions, minced
4 cups leftover rice
¾ cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted
1 tbsp. soy sauce
Few drops sesame oil

Directions

01
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, salt, pepper and cornstarch, and toss well to coat the shrimp. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. When a drop of water immediately sizzles and evaporates, the pan is hot enough to add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Swirl to coat the pan well.
02
Add the shrimp to the hot pan and quickly spread them out so that they are in a single layer, and all touching the pan surface. (You may need to do this in two batches to ensure even cooking.) Let them cook untouched for 30 seconds, then flip over (tongs work well for this) and let cook for 30 more seconds, so that the shrimp are about 80% cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
03
Lower the heat on the pan to medium. Add the eggs to the pan and stir quickly, to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through but still slightly runny in the middle, remove from the pan to the same plate as the shrimp.
04
Use paper towels to wipe the pan clean and return the pan to high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, swirling to coat. Once the oil is very hot, add the green onions to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the rice to the pan and mix well to combine with the green onions. Spread the rice out evenly over the pan and let cook without stirring, until you hear the rice grains sizzle, about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss the rice a bit with your spatula, and again spread it out over the cooking surface.
05
Drizzle the soy sauce all over the rice, and toss again. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked shrimp and eggs, and the sesame oil to the pan. Toss to combine all the ingredients well with the rice. Let everything heat back up again until the rice grains are sizzling again. Add additional soy sauce to taste, if needed. Serve!

Source

adapted from Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen via Simply Recipes