Fried Rice with Sweet Thai Sausage

A delicious fried rice which has naturally evolved over time. Fried rice is something I first attempted about 10 years ago. Over the past 3 years my fried rice has improved beyond my expectations (or perhaps it was taste buds doing the developing?).

Fried rice should not be heavy or sticky; it should be light and fluffy. It should satisfy its purpose, which it is generally either meant to function as a backdrop to the rest of the meal or as a full fledged active component of the meal. This will define the character of your fried rice.

The most important thing to remember when cooking fried rice is moisture. Remember that different types of rice have different moisture contents when cooked; how you cook the rice also plays a role. I find that simple is best using long grain white rice; use whatever method you prefer just make sure its not too sticky, some moisture is fine though. I use a rice steamer to cook my rice; my girlfriend boils it on the stove. She overcooks it sometimes but otherwise both methods work fine.

When making fried rice it is best you use day old rice. Refrigerated rice is firmer and has less moisture; its texture is perfect for making fluffy fried rice. You can also use rice that has been frozen. Before you add the rice to the pan make sure that you crumble it or break it into small pieces. I recommend taking out the rice ahead of time to bring it closer to room temperature.

With regards to added ingredients be mindful of their moisture content. For instance if you add parboiled mix veggies (eg corn and veggies) make sure they aren’t wet. Never pour off the water and overturn the pot into the fried rice. For such an instance I recommend using very little water and boiling it all off, leaving the veggies dry.

As with all Asian cooking be conscious of the size and shape of the ingredients. My thoughts on the matter, try keeping all the ingredients about the same size and shape. One exception is for a main ingredient like shrimp.

My Thai fried rice is very simple; it is light and fluffy with little pieces of delicious sweet sausage. I’ve only found this sausage at my favorite Thai grocer. I was unable to find it online but, if memory serves, they deliver. The best way to serve it in fried rice is to cut the sausage in halves, cut each half into fourths lengthwise, then cut them into cubes. I believe that’s just about a small dice. Next slightly brown them in a dry pan over medium heat (they burn easily due to their high sugar content). Do not substitute Chinese sausage.

Without further ado:

Salt and Pepper to taste
4-5C long grain white rice (see above)
1.5 Thai Cooked Sweet Sausage, browned
2 T light (in terms of colour) soy sauce
1/3C of kernel corn; parboiled and dry
3-4 scallions, bias chopped
3-4 eggs

1. Heat a good sized frying pan or wok over medium high, add enough oil to cover bottom plus a little more. Use more oil if your pan is not non-stick. Add rice, stir coating the rice.
2. Add soy sauce, mix and stir, breaking up lumps of rice. Let rice heat. As the rice heats it will become much easier to break up all the clumps, dont kill yourself trying at this point.
   
3. In a smaller skillet brown the sausage and add to rice. Mix in.
4. Whip the eggs and season with salt. Scramble the eggs in the small pan. Make sure to use a generous amount of oil and that it is hot enough. Set aside.
5. Heat corn in the small pan with enough water to just cover. You may add a little sugar to the water as it cooks. Cook until dry. Add to rice.
6. Add the eggs to the rice, mix. Never add soy sauce after you've added the egg, it will ruin the beautiful yellow of the eggs.
   
7. Season with salt and pepper. At this point you can hold it for quite some time. It is best to add the scallions just before eating to enjoy their crisp flavour.
   
8. Add the scallions, mix and heat for another minute.
9. Serve immediately.