A divine recipe for stir-fried rice with chicken that will have you and your guests completely hooked.
I’m often asked what my favorite food is. It’s a question that’s really hard for me to answer, because I honestly operate in phases where I get overwhelmed by an obsession for a specific type of food, which I enjoy until I reach a point of saturation.
BUT, if someone had asked me this week, it would definitely have been stir-fried rice with chicken. Rah, I swear, testing and retesting and retesting the recipe was a real pleasure that I really couldn’t get enough of.
My conclusions from extensive testing? This is an extremely tasty recipe, precise and easy to make, with enough margin for error to allow relaxed, stress-free cooking. Anyway, let’s get down to business
Materials needed to make the chicken stir-fry rice
It’s absolutely essential to have a rice cooker at your disposal. Why, you may ask? The reason is simple: this cooking method guarantees infallible cooking of rice in any liquid of your choice. (Here, homemade chicken stock).
It’s an indispensable tool that lets you perfectly control the degree of cooking of your rice, preventing it from being overcooked or undercooked.
Personally, I use a Tristar rice cooker (click on the link for more information). This model is disconcertingly simple to use, yet economical.
For the stir-frying part, a wok is best, but any large saucepan or frying pan will do. It’s just that you might have trouble stirring if the sides of the pan aren’t high enough.
Why does it taste so good?
The real secret of this recipe lies in the broth. The first step is to concoct a homemade Asian-style chicken broth, to which not an ounce of salt is added. When the rice is cooked in this broth, it soaks up all the natural glutamate present, a compound known for its role in flavor enhancement.
However, this glutamate remains in an “inactivated” state until it is revealed by the salt contained in the soy sauce during the stir-frying stage. If you taste the rice immediately after cooking, you’ll notice that it’s rather bland, but make no mistake, this is a necessary step for the final result.
This clever culinary process leads to a veritable explosion ofumami, that fifth taste that characterizes deep, savory flavors. Often described as a rich, satisfying flavor, umami is a key element of Asian cuisine and plays a major role in the appeal of this chicken stir-fry rice.
When you taste this dish, you’re greeted by a veritable explosion of flavors in your mouth, a symphony of tastes that will leave you speechless.
And I must confess, just writing those words makes me salivate with anticipation. It’s a real tribute to the complexity and richness of Chinese cuisine, and a demonstration of how simple ingredients can be transformed into an incredibly tasty dish through a carefully crafted cooking technique.
The main ingredients for stir-fried rice with chicken
There aren’t many “special Asian” ingredients in this recipe, but I’m counting on you not to substitute them – they’re essential!
Shaoxing wine: China’s famous rice wine is used again in this recipe, its aroma enhancing the chicken marinade.
Light soy sauce: Don’t worry, this is the ordinary salted soy sauce you find in every supermarket.
Oyster sauce: Unfortunately, it can’t be replaced, but don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like oysters.
Cornflour: this is essential for the final texture of the chicken, so leave nothing to chance!
The rice: I prefer to use well-washed sushi rice before cooking.
Recipe for stir-fried rice with chicken
Chinese Chicken Fried Rice
Matériel
- 1 Wok
Ingredients
- 280 g dry sushi rice
- 4 young onions, thinly sliced white parts separated from green parts
- 2 chopped carrots
- 1 kg thigh-highs with bone and skin
- 375 ml homemade chicken broth
Bouillon
- 600 ml water
- Chicken bones
- 6 stems young onions
- 4 pods garlic
Chicken marinade
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons shaoxing wine
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
Procédé
The day before
- Bone the thighs, using the back of the knife to fracture the bones with a sharp blow.
- Place the bones in a covered saucepan over low heat with the water, spring onions and lightly crushed garlic cloves (you can leave the skin on).
- Simmer, covered, for 1:30.
- Meanwhile, cut the meat into small pieces, keeping the skin. Place everything in a large bowl and mix well with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate.
- Strain the broth
- Wash the rice at least 6 times; the water should be almost transparent. Empty all the water from the washing and replace it with as much broth as you would use in water.
- Cook the rice and set aside in the fridge. If you have any stock left over, make yourself a little noodle soup that evening.
D-Day
- Heat a wok or large saucepan with a little oil over high heat.
- Put in half the chicken (we’ll cook it in two batches), spread out and simmer for 2-3 minutes without touching. We want to create a nice scorched crust.
- Stir a little and repeat several times.
- Do the same with the remaining chicken, then set aside. Try to catch the oil in the bowl and reuse it for the rest of the food.
- Reheat over high heat. Add chopped carrots and sauté 3-4 minutes.
- Add the white parts. Skip 3 minutes
- Add rice. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add sauce and chicken and sauté for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the green parts of the spring onions, stir for two minutes, then turn off the heat. Time to eat!
