When I go out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant, I always get a huge plate of fried rice. Of all the many types, this golden garlic fried rice has always been my favorite. This is my variation on Yangzhou fried rice which I used to call “yellow fried rice” as a kid. It is super simple, visually appealing, and perfect to make for the lunar new year.
How to get the golden color?
As the name implies, this fried rice has a distinct golden yellow color. In order to achieve this, I mixed our day old rice with egg yolks. I found like free run omega 3 eggs have darker orange colored egg yolks which will give the rice a stronger color. However, regular egg yolks will work as well. There is also a way to cheat and make it yellow by adding turmeric powder. However, the egg yolks add flavor and texture to the rice when fried.
Protein or meat in golden garlic fried rice
For this fried rice, I prefer to stay away from meats, however you can add any leftover protein you like. I used small bay scallops and shrimp cut into the same size as the scallops. I like seafood because you can cook it fresh in a matter of minutes.
Vegetables in golden garlic fried rice
Garlic
Garlic is obviously a huge part of this recipe and it gives the rice an insane amount of flavor. That being said we will be using about 25 cloves of garlic. 20 of them will be finely diced and 5 cloves will be turned into garlic chips for garnish.
Chinese broccoli stems
I cut the Chinese broccoli stems into thin pieces and they add a lot of texture to the fried rice. Feel free to cut them thicker for extra crunch, I just prefer them to be thinner.
Green onion
Whenever I make fried rice, I will separate the green onion whites from the greens. The whites are more fragrant which is why I fry them along with the garlic and other hard vegetables. The greens are softer which is why I add it at the end to retain its texture and bright color.
Golden Garlic Fried Rice
Ingredients
- neutral oil (as needed)
- 2 cups rice (left in the fridge overnight)
- 3 large eggs
- 20 cloves garlic
- 3 Chinese broccoli stems
- 3 bunches green onion
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp MSG
- 150 g small bay scallops
- 150 g shrimp
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp corn starch
Instructions
- Finely chop 20 cloves of garlic and set to the side.20 cloves garlic
- Slice Chinese broccoli stems and set to the side.3 Chinese broccoli stems
- Chop green onions, separate the whites from the greens. Set to the side.3 bunches green onion
- Separate the yolks from the whites of our 3 eggs. Add the egg yolks into our day old rice.3 large eggs, 2 cups rice
- Season the rice with salt, sugar, white pepper, and MSG. Set to the side.2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp white pepper, 1 tsp MSG
- Add scallops and shrimp into a bowl. If the shrimp are much larger, cut them so that they are about the same size as the scallops.150 g small bay scallops, 150 g shrimp
- Season the shrimp and scallops with salt, white pepper, oyster sauce, and corn starch. Mix.1 tsp salt, ½ tsp white pepper, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp corn starch
- In a high heat wok add 1 tbsp of oil and cook the seasoned shrimp and scallops for 1-2 minutes. Remove.neutral oil
- Add 1 tbsp more oil and cook our egg whites. Set aside as well and clean the wok as needed.neutral oil
- Add 1 tbsp more oil over high heat and add the Chinese broccoli, green onion whites, and all of the chopped garlic.3 Chinese broccoli stems, 3 bunches green onion, 20 cloves garlic
- Cook for 1-2 minutes and add in our pre-mixed rice. Add 1 tbsp more oil and cook for 2-3 minutes.neutral oil
- Add the cooked shrimp and scallops, egg whites, and green onions. Mix until combined then serve! I garnished with garlic chips.
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