Yuenyeung fried rice
Fried Rice Fridays
Yuenyeung fried rice is a two-tone mixture of egg fried rice topped with a while prawn “sauce” and a red chicken “sauce”. Popular in Hong Kong cha cha chaan teng cafes, it’s a simple dish with lots of flavour.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 cup cold water
- Egg fried rice
- 2 cups raw Jasmine rice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp extra for frying
- 3 eggs
- salt, to season
- ½ tsp MSG, to season (optional)
- Red
- 2 chicken thigh fillets, cut into thin strips
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- a pinch of white pepper
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ brown onion, cut into wedges
- 1 tomato
- Red sauce
- 4 tbsp tomato sauce (ketchup)
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 300 ml chicken stock
- White
- 200 g raw, peeled prawns
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ brown onion, diced into 1 cm cubes
- ½ cup frozen peas
- White sauce
- 300 ml chicken stock
- salt, to season
- 100 ml evaporated milk
Method
- Wash the rice and cover with water up to your first knuckle, cook the rice together with the vegetable oil. Separate the grains and place on a baking tray. Refrigerate uncovered overnight.
- Combine the chicken with the soy sauce, salt, pepper, bicarb, cornstarch and water and set aside for 30 minutes. Combine the ingredients for the red sauce in a separate bowl.
- Combine the prawns with the salt, bicarb, cornstarch and water and set aside for 10 minutes, then rinse under running water and pat dry.
- Start with the red sauce. Heat a wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil. Fry the chicken until lightly browned then remove from the wok. Add the onion and tomato and fry until the tomato softens. Add the red sauce and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the wok and thicken with enough of the cornstarch slurry to form a thick, silky sauce. Transfer to a saucepan to keep warm. Brush out the wok and return to the heat.
- Add the oil to the wok and fry the prawns until starting to turn opaque. Remove the prawns from the wok while still quite raw. Return the wok to the heat and add the onion. Fry for about 30 seconds then add the peas and stock and bring to a simmer. Season well with salt and thicken with enough of the cornstarch slurry to form a thick, silky sauce. Return the prawns to the sauce and stir in the evaporated milk. The prawns will cook through in the sauce. Transfer to a saucepan to keep warm.
- Beat the eggs and mix with the cold rice and stir with chopsticks to coat the grains. Add the oil to the wok and add the rice. Fry until the grains separate, and season with salt and MSG.
- Place the rice on a serving plate and cover half with the red sauce, and half with the white sauce.
