SERVES 3 TO 4 AS A ONE-BOWL MEAL
At China Moon, we have two untraditional ways of making fried rice, and the method we use depends on the time of day. At lunchtime, it is tossed to order and seasoned to the whims of the daytime wok cook. Rarely content with a mere sprinkle of seasoning, our cooks concoct flavor-laden sauces that they personalize with labels like “Formula 2001,” making for a spicier or richer fried rice than one might normally find in a Chinese home.
Here is one zippy lunchtime original dotted with curried meat.
Ideally 12 to 24 hours in advance of stir-frying, spread the freshly steamed rice in a thin layer on a large platter or baking sheet. Leave uncovered at room temperature to cool, then refrigerate, still uncovered, for up to one day. To stir-fry most easily with minimal oil, the grains should be dry enough to break apart in your hand, but not so dry that they rattle on the plate: dry on the outside but moist within.
To dry rice quickly, spread it very thinly and put it in a slow (200°F) oven and turn occasionally, until the outside is a bit dry. Or, following the method I adopted once in Taiwan where there were no ovens, get the blow dryer out and do the job!
2 teaspoons China Moon Curry Powder (page 7)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon China Moon Ten-Spice (page 6)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Serrano-Lemongrass Vinegar (page 19) or unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ pound coarsely ground lamb shoulder or pork butt
AROMATICS:
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
½ cup thinly sliced green and white scallion rings
1 small red Fresno chili, finely minced
SAUCE:
½ cup unsalted chicken stock
1 tablespoon Serrano-Lemongrass Vinegar or unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
4 to 5 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
3 fat scallions, cut into ½-inch nuggets
3½ to 4 cups cold cooked white rice, short- or medium-grain preferred
The fact that we add chicken stock to our dinnertime fried rice would appall my adopted Chinese ancestors. Traditionally, Chinese cook rice with only water. It is a mating of two purities. Old Chinese texts go on lyrically for pages about the correct aging and storing of mountain or rain water for the cooking of rice, with much the same seamless combination of Fannie Farmer-style wisdom and mystical revelation as is used in writings about the proper brewing of tea.
On the occasion that I suggested to the elderly patriarch of my second Chinese family that we jazz things up by steaming the rice with stock, he looked at me like I was an ignorant barbarian, bellowed, “Soup is soup and rice is rice!” and stomped from the room, his red silk bathrobe flapping in injured disapproval. I felt as if Confucius had just spoken, and was left stewing in my Western juices for days while he ignored me.
1. Blend the marinade ingredients through the cornstarch until smooth in a bowl big enough to hold the lamb. Add the lamb and stir with your hand to blend thoroughly. Seal and set aside to marinate at cool room temperature for 2 to 4 hours, or refrigerate overnight. Let come to room temperature before cooking.
2. Combine the aromatics through the chili in a small dish; seal until ready to use.
3. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to blend, leaving the spoon in the bowl.
4. About 15 minutes before serving, heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until a bead of water evaporates on contact. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, swirl to glaze the pan, and reduce the heat to moderately high. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a dab of lamb, add the lamb and toss briskly to break up the meat, until it is 95 percent gray, 1 to 1½ minutes. Remove the meat to a colander to drain. Wash the pan and return it to the stove.
5. Reheat the pan over high heat until hot enough to evaporate a bead of water. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, swirl to glaze the pan, and reduce the heat to moderate. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a scallion ring, add the aromatics and stir gently until fully fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Adjust the heat so they foam gently without browning. Add the bell pepper and toss until slightly softened, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the scallions and toss for 1 minute more.
6. Add the rice and toss until hot to the touch. Adjust the heat so it crackles happily and drizzle a bit more oil down the side of the pan, if needed to prevent sticking. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Stir the sauce and add it to the pan. Return the lamb to the pan and toss gently until the liquids are almost absorbed. Taste; adjust with a dash more salt and/or pepper, if desired.
7. Serve at once in heated bowls of contrasting color.