Having given a number of recipes over the past weeks and suggested that they would go well with rice it is probably about time to tackle the subject of cooking rice itself, not always such an easy task as it might seem. All too often it can end up overcooked and on the soft and mushy side, ideal for sticky rice but not quite the thing for a good plate of fried rice or to emulate the wonderful results you get in most Chinese restaurants. So the recipe this week, when we get to it, is going to be egg fried rice which is very nice on its own, as an accompaniment to some of the other dishes we have cooked such as sweet and sour pork, or as a base for creating ‘special’ fried rice containing pork, prawns and chicken. More of that in a moment but first of all let’s take a look at rice itself. According to one source rice provides one fifth of the world’s calorie intake. Most of the rice that we eat in the west is white rice which means that it has been milled to remove the husk and the bran. If the husk is milled off but the bran left on the resulting grain is brown rice which is nutritionally superior to white rice but does not keep so well. There are many different types of rice but the commonest types we come into contact with are the medium grain Arborio type used in paellas, puddings and risottos, the ‘normal’ long grain used with curries and other dishes and the ‘posher’ long grains of which basmati is the best known for its flavour and stability when cooked.
Basmati is also used with curries and in dishes such as byrianis where the presentation of the rice is particularly important. The use of rice goes back thousands of years and there is evidence of wild strains being collected over 10,000 years ago in China and cultivated strains 4,000 years ago in parts of India. Rice cultivation was probably introduced into Spain by the Moors although some believe the Byzantines brought it earlier.
Someone has managed to work out that Spaniards consume on average eight kilos of rice each per year. It is still grown in the country and although Spain is not a major world producer it does have three areas whose production is protected by a quality of origin mark (denominación de origin) and they are the Delta del Ebro, Valencia and Calasparra in Murcia. For most Chinese dishes, plain boiled rice is a fine accompaniment and for me there are two ways of cooking it, on the firm side or slightly sticky. For firm rice like in this week’s recipe make sure you wash the rice first to get rid of any surface starch.
If you leave that on the rice, you are guaranteed to end up with sticky rice. Like all ‘natural’ products rice varies from brand to brand and even batch to batch so get used to the characteristics of the brand you normally use. As a good guide use 1½ to 1¾ cups of water to every one cup of rice and adjust as mentioned earlier depending on your own brand of rice. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to a low simmer with the lid on.
After about 10 to 12 minutes the water will have been completely absorbed and you should take the pan off the heat and allow to stand for five minutes to allow the heat to distribute through the rice. Fork the rice up and if all has gone well you should have nice fluffy rice. For stickier rice then add a little more water and cook for a little longer when the grains will start to split. It’s really a matter of your particular preference as to how you cook your rice. I think it is a lot more difficult to cook perfect rice than meets the eye so persevere if at first you do not succeed.
As mentioned above fried rice is the perfect vehicle to add other ingredients to turn the dish into a ‘special fried rice’ with prawns, chicken and pork as well as other vegetables chopped finely if you wish. It can be a great way of using up ends of roast meats and other odds and ends you might have around in the fridge. Just chop them up and add to the wok making sure you heat them through properly.

Egg Fried Rice
Ingredients (Serves 4)
300 grms of basmati or long grain rice
300 ml of water (basically the same volume or a little more that the quantity of rice)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
4 tablespoons of frozen peas
4 tablespoons of peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
¼ of a salad onion (optional)
Salt and pepper
Method
Rinse the rice in cold water several times to get rid of the surface starch. When the water has run clear add the same quantity of water as the rice and bring to the boil. Turn down on a low heat with the lid on until the water has been absorbed but make sure the rice is still a little on the firm side and the grains have not split.
The idea is to slightly ‘undercook’ the rice to ensure the grains have not lost their shape.
Take off the heat and cool the rice. The best way of doing this is to spread it out on a tray or shallow baking dish and place in the refrigerator overnight. This is one of the best tips to ensure good fried rice that does not end up as a sticky mess.
Thaw the peas and drain. If you are using the salad onion try using part of the stem to imitate spring onions and chop finely. Heat your wok and add half the peanut oil to it.
When hot add the previously beaten eggs and cook to from a flat omelette. When ready lift out on to a plate and slice up into thin strips. If necessary clean the wok of any surplus egg mixture so that I does not burn and add the other half of the oil. Break the rice up with a fork and add it to the hot oil in the wok followed by the peas, cut up omelette, sauces, onion if using and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly and heat. Tip into bowls or a container and serve while still hot.
A perfect accompaniment to many dishes, nice on its own or ‘supercharged with other ingredients (see notes above the recipe).
Next week we are off on our travels once more to pastures new as far as the cuisine is concerned.