Scallion Oil Fried Rice

a fridge foraged meal to look forward to!

Hi! Have You Eaten Yet? I hope you have, but if you haven’t yet, here’s a new recipe from my kitchen to yours that I hope you’ll love!

I rarely make the exact same fried rice twice. Fried rice has the reputation of being a fridge clean out meal and that holds true for me. On the occasion that I have leftover rice (it’s okay, don’t be afraid of leftover rice!), I forage in the fridge and freezer for odds and ends that would make a tasty addition in version 24,472 of my fried rice. I feel like I should be better at documenting each iteration because it feels like a unique snapshot of the season and reminds me of what other ingredients I was loving at the time. Even if the ingredients in my fried rice are rarely the same, what I do keep consistent is my approach to making a great fried rice.

I have a few different fried rice styles that utilize a main ingredient or two as the base flavor.

Soy + Scallion Oil | super simple and very allium forward

Fish Sauce + Oyster Sauce | pungent and fresh! I love to use crab or shrimp and mix in some pickled carrot and daikon

Bacon (or Chinese Sausage) + sambal or sriracha | porky, with a sweet, salty, and spicy flavor profile. This is particularly delicious when it’s cold out.

Shrimp Paste + Ketchup | bright and unexpectedly flavorful! this approach is covered in my next cookbook, Chinese Enough! If you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, what are you waiting for?!

Beyond the Noodles with Scallion Oil

Today we’re going to be covering scallion oil for fried rice! For the purpose of this recipe I’ll be using the term “scallion oil” but I actually never say “scallions”. I’m a “green onion” girl and have always called them that and saying “scallions” just feels unnatural to me, but green onions and scallions are the same thing. Maybe in your corner of the world they are called spring onions? I also like to affectionately call them “grunions”!

Scallion oil is famously used in Shanghai-style scallion oil noodles, a deliciously simply dish where the aromatic oil is tossed with soy sauce, sugar, and chewy noodles. Thinly sliced green onions are gently fried, sizzled if you will, until crispy, imparting the oil with their sweet and oniony flavor. It obviously tastes amazing on noodles and it does in fried rice, too!

You Don’t Need a Wok

My pan of choice when making fried is a large cast iron skillet. I rarely cook with a wok, honestly. I only bring it out with I want to steam something big or fry something because I like that with the tapered walls I don’t need to use as much oil to get the oil depth I need. A cast-iron skillet retains an consistent heat, even after you turn your burner off, so it goes a great job at crisping up the grains of the rice if you give them enough quality time at the bottom of the pan.

After I sizzle the green onions, the remaining scallion oil is used to fry the rice. I added a jalapeno in there for a subtle heat (I think jalapenos are getting less spicy though?) and some frozen edamame and peas. I like these additions for their freshness and vibrant pops of green. The nice thing about the edamame and peas is that you don’t really need to cook them, they just thaw from the warmth of the rice, and I consistently have them in my freezer at all times. By all means, use fresh peas or whatever vegetables you have on hand. The other week, I threw in some thinly sliced asparagus and garlic scapes that were on their last leg and they were so tasty!

When traditionally cooking fried rice in a wok, each grain is constantly being tossed which allows for steam (steam prevents crispiness) to escape and every time the rice touches the extremely hot walls of the wok it sears. With a cast iron, my approach is a little different. I like to spread the rice into an even layer and just leave it alone for a few minutes so that the rice at the very bottom can crisp up. Then with a spatula, scrape the crispy rice at the bottom and toss to allow the steam to escape. I repeat this process as many times as it takes until I’m happy with the level of crispiness. At the very end, turn off the heat and just allow the rice to simultaneously cool and crisp up in the pan one last time. I think fried rice is best not steaming hot, so just have a little patience. Top the rice with all your crispy green onions for another layer of delightful crunch and onion flavor! A fried egg on top will take the rice to another level and feel like a complete meal. I especially love leftover of this for breakfast.

What I’m excited to cook this week!

Hope this fried rice makes it onto your list of meals this week! Here’s what’s on my schedule:

• Custardy roasted Japanese sweet potatoes. My obsession lately. All you have to do is roast them (no salt or oil needed) on a sheet pan at 375F for 90 minutes. It’s heaven with some salt and butter.

• Tong Ho (Chrysanthemum Greens) Pesto. I’ve been making this every few weeks with my leftover greens and I think this is the only pesto I’ll ever make, it’s so lovely! Should I share the recipe here?

• Honey Sesame Tofu Puffs. I’ve been loving tofu puffs lately. They are delightfully sponge and light!

• Homemade Sweet Potato and Peanut Butter Dog Treat for Olive!

It’s a short week of cooking because we’re leaving for Copenhagen on Thursday! I’m so excited for pastries and pickled herring!

Scallion Oil Fried Rice

serves 4

8 to 10 green onions (about 2 bunches)
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup olive oil
1 jalapeno, minced
4 to 6 cups cooked short grain brown rice (jasmine or short grain white rice)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups frozen edamame beans
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3 large eggs

1. Make the scallion oil: Trim off the root end of the green onion and then cut into 3-inch long pieces, divide the white parts from the green parts as they have different cook times. Thinly slice the sections of green onion into long strips. Heat the olive oil, enough for an evenly layer in the pan, in a large cast iron or frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the whites of the green onions, you should hear a gentle sizzle as soon as you add them. If not, then increase the heat slightly and if the oil is sizzling a lot then you want to reduce the heat. Toss to coat the onions in oil and continue to sizzle until just starting to brown around the edges, 5 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add the greens of the green onions and toss in the oil. Continue to sizzle until the onions are crisp, it is okay to have some parts more green than others. Take the green onions out of the pan and into a bowl lined with paper towels.

2. Crisp up the rice: Increase the heat of the pan to medium-high. Add the jalapeno and stir-fry until just starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the leftover rice and break up the clumps with a spatula. Toss to coat the rice in the oil. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and sugar and mix to combine. Add the edamame and peas and toss to distribute into the rice. Spread the rice in an even layer and allow the bottom of the rice to crisp up, about 2 to 3 minutes. Toss the rice with the spatula, making sure to flip the rice from the bottom. Repeat this process of crisping and then flipping the rice for another 10 minutes, until you’re happy with the overall crispness of the rice. If you feel like you need to add more oil, add another drizzle of olive oil into the pan.

3. Add the eggs: Shove the rice to the outer edges of the pan, making a space in the center for the eggs. Add a light drizzle of oil into the center and then add the eggs. Allow the eggs to cook and slightly set, about 2 minutes, and then scramble with the spatula and start incorporating it into the rice.

4. The final crisp: Spread the rice into an even layer again and allow the bottom of the rice to crisp up, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to cool and continue crisping up in the pan for another 5 to 8 minutes.

5. Serve: top the rice with the crispy green onions and serve with an optional fried egg on top!