I grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a stone’s throw from Chinatown so I’m kind of picky about my fried rice.  If my mom had a little room in the budget, my siblings and I got treated to dinner at small Chinese restaurants, some that were off the beaten path. Sometimes the posted menu was in Chinese and we’d have to ask the waiter for a dish familiar to us. Often, the family that owned the place sat at a big round table right alongside the patrons sharing a big bowl of noodles, chatting in their native language. This recipe may not produce a dish exactly as I remember it from those days but it’s still one of my favorites. The two must-haves: a sizzling hot wok or skillet and day-old white rice.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups day-old cooked white rice
1 small (3 ounces) onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste
Optional:
1/2 cup cooked meat, cubed or shredded
1/2 cup diced cooked vegetables
1/4 cup bean sprouts

TOOLS
wok, or large (12″) skillet
wooden spoon
fork

METHOD
1. Place oil in wok over high heat. Meanwhile, break up rice in its container, stirring well to separate the grains.
2. When the oil is very hot, add rice and onion. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes, making sure rice is well coated with oil.
3. Push rice and onions to one side and add beaten egg to the empty side of the wok.
4. Scramble egg quickly with fork, breaking it into small pieces, then mix with rice.
5. Add scallions, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and any optional ingredients. Stir well until thoroughly combined and heated through.

NOTES & TIPS
• Day-old cooked rice is best for stir-frying. Freshly made rice has too much moisture and will turn to mush in a hot pan.

READY IN
15 minutes

YIELD
4 servings