10:45 AM 3/22/98
rfr

Fried Rice
Chicken Fried Rice

Fried Rice

Amount  Measure Ingredient      Preparation Method
2       cups    white rice      
2               chicken breasts 
5       cloves  garlic  
1       large   onion   
2       large   carrots 
2       large   eggs    
             olive oil       
             marsala wine    
2       tablespoons     Chinese chili/garlic sauce      
             black pepper    freshly ground
             butter  
             soy sauce       

Make rice, first, however you make rice.  I prefer a rice maker, but
others don't, so whatever way you do it is fine.  Now put it in the
refrigerator until tomorrow.  When it's tomorrow, pull out two chicken
breasts, five cloves of garlic, an onion, two carrots, two eggs, two cups
of the rice, some olive oil, marsala wine (or whatever liquor you prefer
to cook with), Chinese chili sauce, black pepper, a slab of butter., and
of course, soy sauce.  Scramble the eggs, and cook them until /just/ set
in a pan.  I usually use a separate pan so the stuff on the edges (which,
if not properly removed, will turn brown and hard and disgusting) doesn't
get into the rice.  I like to cook eggs in butter. 

Next, chop the onion and carrots up very small - no carrot coins or onion
semicircles - and stir fry in a bit of olive oil.  Cook until the carrot
is soft and the onion is translucent, but not until they've both
completely lost any sign of personality.  Set aside.  Chop the chicken
into pieces about the size of a quarter.  Rinse any onion or carrot juice
from the pan and use it for the chicken.  Heat it up again, add a dash of
olive oil, and add the garlic.  I squeeze it through a garlic press, but
you can mince it instead, before tossing it in.  Cook it just a little bit
- before it browns - then add the chicken.  Keep the heat on high - brown
the chicken just a little bit.  While the chicken is in there, toss in a
splash of wine and two tablespoons of Chinese chili sauce.  (actually, I
use chili garlic sauce, and I like spicy garlicky - you may want to tone
it down.)  When you're satisfied that the chicken is all cooked, set them
aside, rinse out your pan again.  (I use a Magnalite non-stick wok for
this, so rinses and suchlike are not a problem.  If you have "sticking"
pans, maybe you should just keep changing pans.  I like to cook them
separately because they have different cooking times, as well as different
flavors.) 

Melt about two tablespoons of butter in the pan.  Add the cold rice.  Stir
it around, until it's all warm and separated.  Add soy sauce to taste. 
Now I normally don't care for terrifically salty foods, but I do like to
add soy sauce until the rice is a uniform light brown.  Then add freshly
cracked pepper.  Lots of it.  I like a coarse grind so I can really chew
the bits of pepper.  Now you're ready to dump everything back in just for
a few more minutes to mix it in evenly.  You can add chopped scallions for
a little dash of extra color - I found the red chili bits a nice contrast
to the brown/yellow/orange of the rest of the dish. 

Prep time is about 10 min. If you chop well, cooking time about 15 min. 
This is real comfort food for me, so I eat it in vast quantities
 Hope you like it.  


Chicken Fried Rice: (1 serving)

1/4 lb deboned/skinned chicken
1 cup cooked rice
1 egg
garlic
ginger
scallion
salt
pepper
soy sauce
sherry
wine vinegar

Beat egg with salt and pepper, cook briefly with 1 tsp oil, should still
be a little runny Cut chicken in bite size pieces, cook over high heat
with 2-3 Tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp garlic, 1/2 tsp ginger and 1 Tbsp scallion When
chicken is done, add cooked egg, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sherry, and 1 tsp
wine vinegar, cook briefly
