Thai fried rice

• portioner: Serves 2

Ingredienser

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 shallots, sliced into thin rounds

1 Thai bird's-eye chile, sliced into thin rounds

2 cloves garlic, smashed once or twice

1 cup yesterday's cooked rice - 2 cups is appropriate

1 cup chopped cucumber, radish, or green tomato

2 cups chopped cilantro or a combination of basil, cilantro, and mint a big squeeze of lime, plus lime wedges for serving

½ teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce optional: 1 fried egg per person

Eggs

Optional: mushrooms or other veggies

Instruktioner

• Heat the oil in as wide a pan or wok as possible. You need enough hot surface area for every grain to fry.

• Once the oil has begun to smoke, add the shallots, chile, and garlic, then immediately add the rice.

• Spread it out over the whole surface of the pan. Salt it lightly.

• When it seems like every grain has had time alone with the hot pan, scoop the rice into the middle of the pan, add the rest of the ingredients, and toss it all well.

• Serve with a lime wedge per bowl. This is most delicious with a fried egg put atop each bowl.

Anteckningar

Fried rice is the rare meal for which it's sensible to make only as much as you'll eat in one sitting. The main ingredient is already cooked, and the rest takes four minutes. A single batch of cold, left- over rice can keep you in fresh fried rice for a week. This is a very good meal to eat alone.

Whatever hasn't been fried must be turned into rice pudding. We do not make enough rice pudding, probably because we do not make enough rice.