tonight's midnight meal

chinese sausage fried rice, runny yolk over the top

Name: chinese sausage fried rice, runny yolk over the top
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Cantonese
Ingredients: 3 cups cold day-old cooked white rice (jasmine works well); 2 links Chinese sausage (lap cheong), diced small; 3 eggs, beaten, plus 1 whole egg for the sunny-side crown; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 scallions, whites and greens separated and sliced; 1 fresh red chili, diced (optional); 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce; 1 tsp light soy sauce or a pinch of salt; 1/2 tsp white pepper; 2 Tbsp neutral oil

⏱ 20 min🍽 2

Ingredients · tap to check

3 cups cold day-old cooked white rice (jasmine works well)
2 links Chinese sausage (lap cheong), diced small
3 eggs, beaten, plus 1 whole egg for the sunny-side crown
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, whites and greens separated and sliced
1 fresh red chili, diced (optional)
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce or a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp neutral oil

The Way

Break up the cold rice with your hands so there are no clumps. Cold day-old rice is drier and fries into separate grains instead of turning to mush.
Heat a little oil in a wok over high heat. Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble them into soft golden curds, then push them to one side and leave them in the wok.
Add the diced lap cheong, garlic and scallion whites to the hot wok. Fry until the sausage renders its sweet red-tinged fat and the edges crisp.
Add the cold rice and toss hard, breaking up any clumps and coating every grain in the flavored oil.
Drizzle the dark soy down the hot side of the wok so it sizzles and caramelizes before it hits the rice, then toss to color the grains evenly. Season with light soy or salt and white pepper, add the red chili, and fold the scrambled egg back through.
In a small pan, fry the whole egg sunny-side-up with a runny yolk.
Pile the fried rice into a bowl, crown it with the sunny-side egg and a shower of scallion greens, and break the yolk over the top just before eating.

midnight tip. the dark soy goes down the SIDE of the hot wok, not straight onto the rice, so it caramelizes into a smoky sweetness instead of just staining the grains. and always cold rice, never fresh, or you get mush.

Questions

what is lap cheong?

chinese sausage, a cured, slightly sweet dried pork sausage with a deep mahogany color. it firms up and crisps beautifully in a hot wok, rendering a sweet, savory fat that flavors the whole dish. find it at any asian grocer, in the refrigerated or dried-goods aisle.

can I use fresh rice instead of day-old?

cold day-old rice is really the secret. fresh rice is too moist and steams into clumps. if you must use same-day rice, spread it out on a tray and chill it uncovered in the fridge for an hour first to dry it out.

no lap cheong, what else works?

diced ham, spam, bacon or char siu all make great fried rice, though you lose that distinctive sweet-cured flavor. add a tiny pinch of sugar to mimic the sweetness if you go with a plain pork.

chinese sausage fried rice, runny yolk over the top

Ingredients · tap to check

The Way

Questions

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