Special Egg Fried Rice

600g cooked jasmine rice, completely cooled (preferably day-old)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 spring onions, white and green parts separated, finely sliced

1 carrot, finely diced

150g raw king prawns, halved lengthways

150g cooked Chinese barbecue chicken (char siu), diced

100g frozen peas

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Quick Chilli Oil (Optional)

2 teaspoons chilli flakes

2 dried red chillies, broken into pieces

2 tablespoons hot vegetable oil

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

PREPARATION

1. Place the cooled rice into a large bowl. Beat the eggs and pour them over the rice. Using your hands or a spoon, gently mix until every grain of rice is lightly coated with egg. Season with the salt and white pepper, then continue mixing until the grains are well separated. Finely dice the carrot, halve the prawns lengthways, dice the cooked char siu, slice the spring onions (keeping the green tops for garnish) and measure out the peas.

COOKING

2. Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking and add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil.

3. Add the egg-coated rice and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, pressing and turning it until the egg cooks and the grains become dry and separate.

4. Remove the rice from the wok and set aside.

5. Return the wok to the heat with the remaining vegetable oil.

6. Stir-fry the white parts of the spring onions until fragrant, then add the carrot and cook briefly so it retains a little crunch.

7. Add the prawns and cook until they just begin to turn pink, then stir in the diced char siu and peas.

8. Return the fried rice to the wok.

9. Toss everything together over a high heat until evenly combined.

10. Drizzle over the sesame oil and continue stir-frying until any remaining moisture has evaporated and the rice grains are dry and fluffy.

11. Garnish with the sliced green spring onions.

12. If making the quick chilli oil, pour the hot oil over the chilli flakes and dried chillies, stir in the light soy sauce and serve alongside the fried rice.

School of Wok Tips

 Coating the rice in beaten egg before frying is an old Cantonese technique that gives every grain a beautiful golden coating while helping separate the rice.

 Day-old or completely cooled rice works best because it contains less surface moisture and fries more cleanly.

 Fry the egg-coated rice on its own first before adding the other ingredients—this prevents it from becoming clumpy.

 Wait until the end to add the sesame oil so its aroma stays fresh and pronounced.

FAQs

Why coat the rice with egg before frying?

This traditional method coats every grain individually, creating evenly golden fried rice with beautifully separate grains rather than large pieces of scrambled egg.

Can I use leftover roast chicken instead of char siu?

Yes. Any cooked chicken, pork, ham or even roast duck works well. Special fried rice is traditionally a great way to use up leftovers.

Why remove the rice before cooking the other ingredients?

Frying the rice first allows the egg coating to dry properly. Reintroducing it later keeps the grains fluffy while preventing the vegetables and seafood from overcooking.