Yangchow Fried Rice – à la Mai Leung

April 9, 2021–Yangchow Fried Rice – à la Mai Leung is a delicious way to resurrect leftover rice that sits shivering, cold and unloved in your refrigerator. I present you today with a fabulous dish from Mai Leung’s The Classic Chinese Cook Book, first printed in 1976. It has since been updated, but I use her original edition here and recommend all her amazing recipes. One of the great things about this book is the Chinese-English glossary. If you find yourself lost and searching for items in a Chinese food market, you can refer to your needed items in the glossary, and they can help you build your Chinese food pantry. 

A couple of warnings with making any Chinese food: have all of your ingredients ready to launch into your wok/large frying pan as the cooking only takes a few minutes. The prep on this dish, although a bit fiddly, still only takes about 15 minutes. I prep by measuring most of my ingredients into 4-ounce ramekins and I set them next to the stove so everything is on hand for tossing into this delicious, rewarding dish.  

My second warning is: do not substitute ingredients, such as using fish sauce instead of soy sauce, for example. Just use your common sense: You can substitute fresh mushrooms for dry; frozen shrimp for fresh; low salt soy sauce instead of “thin” soy sauce. If you adhere to the ingredients you will not be disappointed. But if you wander off the list and start adding Ponzu citrus sauce, etc., you will risk ending up in recipe failure mode. You should know that Mai Leung is a very precise chef, and her recipes should be followed to a “T.” You will be delighted if you are obedient to her instructions – the final dish will be fab. I’ve learned this the hard way, so take my word for it!  

Yangchow Fried Rice – à la Mai Leung

 Serves 6 to 8; Preparation time: 25 minutes

Preparation of Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of oil for frying (not olive oil)

• Egg mixture (beat together until slightly foamy)

• 4 eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, in pea-sized pieces, including green part
• 6 Chinese dried mushrooms: soak in hot water until spongy. Discard stems, cut caps into ¼-inch squares.
• 6 ounces Smithfield ham or Cantonese barbecued pork: cut into ¼-inch cubes
• Shrimp mixture (mix in a bowl…refrigerate before use)
  • 4 ounces fresh shrimp: shell, devein, rinse in running cold water, pat dry, cut into peanut-sized pieces
  • ½ teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon pale, dry sherry
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen green peas
• Sauce mixture (mix in a bowl)
  • 2 teaspoons black soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

• 4 cups cold, cooked long-grain rice: cook a day in advance
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Directions for Cooking

1. Heat wok (or very large frying pan) over high heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons oil for frying. When oil is hot, pour half the egg mixture into wok and swirl it around, spreading it into a thin pancake. Turn pancake when it is set. Remove from pan before it is golden brown. Cook remaining egg mixture in the same manner. Cut pancakes into 1/3-inch squares. Set aside.
2. Heat wok over high heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil or frying. When oil is hot, add scallions, mushrooms, and ham or pork. Stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add shrimp mixture. Stir-fry until shrimp turn whitish (less than 20 seconds). Add peas. Stir in sauce mixture. Break up lumps in cooked rice and add it along with egg squares. Stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until rice is thoroughly hot. Swirl in sesame seed oil. Mix well. Put on a serving platter. Serve hot. 
3. Watch it disappear! Enjoy!