Clem's Corned Beef Fried Rice
Back in the day, canned corned beef was a staple because it was something which can be kept on the kitchen shelf until a quick meal was needed. It was also relatively cheap unlike nowadays.
Fried rice is always a
welcome menu item either at home or dining out (there are many
delicious versions to ask for in a Chinese restaurant). Not so
often seen except perhaps in Malaysian homes is a corned beef
fried rice. This is my version of it:
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups of
rice.
- 1 can of
340 g corned beef.
- 2 red
onions and 4 cloves of garlic.
- 4 eggs.
- good
handfuls of canned whole corn kernels and frozen peas.
-
Condiments.
- Dried
shrimp (ground or blended) (optional).
METHOD
- Cook two
cups of rice with minimal addition of water to ensure a
drier cooked rice.
After the rice is cooked, allow it to cool down before placing in a refrigerator overnight.
This refrigeration is important because starches which are gelatinized during the cooking process, undergoes a process called retrogradation after cooking and especially when cooled. Retrogradation re-associates some of the starch polymers dissociated during cooking into more ordered (read "crystalline") form. I believe that this is what makes the difference between frying freshly versus stored cooked rice, apart from the stored rice being "drier" through loss of water through evaporation.
You may leave the rice uncovered during refrigeration to help dry the rice but ensure that you turn the rice during this time to prevent uneven drying.
- Finely
slice two red onions and four cloves of garlic.
Heavy fry the onions until browned and then add the garlic which are fried only momentarily (do not burn either).
- Add the
canned corned beef and fry until the beef looks dry and
slightly browned (fresh out of the can, the beef will look
mushy and pink).
- Remove the
beef and set aside.
- Now fry
four beaten up eggs and loosen them up during frying into
small pieces.
- Now you
can add the rice and previously fried beef.
Use your frying utensil to break up clumps of rice until you see individual grains.
Keep tossing and turning the rice to achieve a good loose mass.
- Control of
cooking heat (high rather than low, without scorching) and
use of the right amount of cooking oil will help a good end
result (add as necessary to prevent catching and achieve a glossy
fried rice).
- Toss in
good handfuls of whole corn kernels and peas (or any other
vegetable of your choice) and continue frying until it all
looks cooked and right to you.
- Add in
your choice of condiments (and/or salt; MSG; fish sauce;
light soy sauce; pepper; fresh chillies).
I added fresh chillies and ground pepper when the beef was being fried.
Fish sauce, light soy sauce and MSG was added towards the end to the rice.
Be mindful that corned beef is salty and add other sources of salt accordingly (as in any cooking constantly taste as you go along).
- Before serving, I topped my fried rice with fried ground dried shrimp for added flavour (you can also add it during frying).
This method can also be
used to make other versions of fried rice where instead of
corned beef, the highlight item can be prawn, chicken, crabmeat
etc. It can also be a vegetarian dish by leaving out
meats.
Clem's Corned Beef Fried Rice
Enjoy!
04 Oct
2023
Created
by Clem Kuek