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Cantonese Fried Rice with Choy Sum

The Wang sisters’ paternal grandmother created this recipe and passed it down through the generations. “It’s a rather special recipe, she perfected it over time and was so proud of it that she was constantly giving people the recipe and talking about it.”

Ingredients


Serves 4

  • 7 oz (200 g) choy sum, stems and leaves separated chopped into 1⁄2-inch (1 cm) pieces
  • 7 oz (200 g) Chinese barbecue pork (char siu), thinly sliced
  •  4 cups (1 L) cooked white rice, prepared the day before and refrigerated
  •  1⁄2 tbsp (7 mL) soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 5 tbsp (75 mL) vegetable oil
  • Salt, to taste

For the shrimp

  • 7 oz (200 g) shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) salt
  • 1⁄8 tsp (0.5 mL) granulated sugar
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) rice cooking wine

For the eggs

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) water

For the sauce

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) water
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce or tamari

Directions

  1. For the shrimp: Add the salt, sugar, and shrimp to a bowl of cold water. Let soak for 30 minutes at room temperature. Drain, and then set aside.
  2. For the eggs: In a small bowl, using a fork or small whisk, beat together the eggs, water, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  3. For the sauce: In another small bowl, using a fork or small whisk, beat together the ingredients for the sauce along with a pinch of salt.
  4. Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) of oil and a pinch of salt. Sauté the choy sum stems for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, and then add the leaves and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Set aside in a large dish.
  5. Over medium-high heat, pour the beaten eggs into the wok and let them cook like an omelette for 2 minutes per side. Transfer the omelette to a board and cut it into slices
    1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch (1 to 2 cm) long and 1⁄4 inch (1⁄2 cm) wide. Set aside in the large dish.
  6. Heat the wok to medium heat, then add 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil and stir-fry the pork for 5 minutes. Set aside in the large dish.
  7. In the wok, over high heat, add 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil and stir-fry the shrimp with the garlic for 5 minutes. Add the rice cooking wine and stir. Transfer the shrimp to a board and cut into small pieces. Transfer the shrimp and cooking juices to the large dish.
  8. In the wok, over medium heat, add another 2 tbsp (15 mL) oil, then the rice, and stir. Add the sauce, and stir well for
    3 minutes. Add the ingredients from the large dish, and stir well for 5 minutes (being careful not to crush the rice). Add the soy sauce and combine.
  9. To serve, divide among serving bowls and sprinkle with green onions.

Source

Excerpted from Asian Vegetables by Stéphanie Wang, Caroline Wang, and Patricia Ho-Yi Wang. Translated by J.C. Sutcliffe. ©2023 Stéphanie Wang, Caroline Wang, and Patricia Ho-Yi Wang. Published by House of Anansi Press

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