Chinese fried rice

Directions
Preparation:35min  ›  Cook:25min  ›  Ready in:1hour 

1. Wash the rice under cold running water until the water almost runs clear. Drain, then put in a saucepan with 2¼ cups of cold water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place over a moderate heat until the water comes to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Remove from the heat and stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
2. Spread the rice out onto a tray, allow to cool, then cover lightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the eggs and cook for 1 minute, stirring until lightly scrambled, then remove from the wok. Add the remaining oil to the wok and cook the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the capsicum and carrot and toss for 1–2 minutes, or until softened.
4. Add the Chinese sausage or ham, toss for another minute, then add the cooked rice. Keep tossing until the rice is reheated, breaking up any large clumps as you go. Add the peas, spring onions, soy sauce, sugar, egg and, if you are using it, the shrimp paste at the last minute, mixing well.

cook's tips

• Chinese sausage, also called lap cheong, is a hard, dry smoked sausage available in the Asian section of many supermarkets.
• Shrimp paste is available from Asian food shops and some supermarkets. It will add a wonderful depth of flavour to the rice.
• Fried rice is best made with day-old rice, otherwise the rice will form a mushy clump. If you have 6 cups of leftover rice you can skip the first two steps. If the rice hardens, sprinkle it with a little water and heat in a microwave oven on High for 2 minutes.