Thai Basil Fried Rice with Chicken

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A fast, fiercely fragrant weeknight fried rice built the way Thai cooks do it: chilies and garlic pounded to a rough paste so they bloom in the oil, cold day-old jasmine rice fried hard over high heat, and a huge handful of holy or Thai basil folded in off the heat so it wilts without ever turning dull. Crown each bowl with a crisp-edged fried egg and a squeeze of lime.

Ingredients

• 6 clove garlic, peeled
• 3 Thai bird's eye chilies, stemmed (or 2 serranos)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (optional, for color)
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp water

• 4 cup cooked jasmine rice, cold (preferably day-old)
• 12 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
• 1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 cup loosely packed holy basil or Thai basil leaves
• 2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 3 large eggs, for frying
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, for frying eggs
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Sliced cucumber, for the side
• Fish sauce with sliced chilies (prik nam pla), for the table

Instructions

1. Break up the cold rice with wet hands in a bowl until no clumps remain, then leave it uncovered at room temperature while you prep everything else. If your rice is freshly cooked, spread it on a sheet pan and chill it in the freezer for 20 minutes so it dries out.
2. Pound the paste: put the garlic, chilies, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pound with the pestle for 1 to 2 minutes, until you have a rough, juicy paste with a few visible flecks — not a smooth puree. No mortar? Pile everything on a cutting board, chop finely, then drag the flat of your knife across it repeatedly for 30 seconds to crush it.
3. Whisk the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), sugar, and water in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set it next to the stove with the rice, chicken, vegetables, basil, and scallions — this cooks in under 6 minutes and there is no time to hunt for anything.
4. Heat a 14-inch carbon steel wok or your largest heavy skillet over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, swirl, then add the chicken in a single layer. Let it sit undisturbed for 90 seconds to brown, then stir-fry 2 minutes more until just cooked through. Scrape it out onto a plate.
5. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and lower the heat to medium. Add the pounded chili-garlic paste and stir constantly for 30 to 45 seconds, until it smells sharp and toasty and the raw garlic edge is gone. Do not let it brown or it will turn bitter.
6. Raise the heat to high. Add the onion and bell pepper and stir-fry 1 minute, just until the edges char slightly and the vegetables are still crisp.
7. Push everything to one side, pour the beaten egg into the empty side, let it set for 15 seconds, then scramble it into large curds and fold it into the vegetables.
8. Add the rice and press it against the hot pan for 20 seconds at a time, then toss, repeating for about 2 minutes so the grains heat through and start to pop and dance. Pour the sauce around the edge of the pan rather than into the center — it will sizzle and caramelize on contact. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes until every grain is evenly colored and no wet patches remain.
9. Return the chicken to the pan, add the scallions, and toss for 30 seconds. Kill the heat, dump in all the basil at once, and fold it through with 5 or 6 quick strokes — the residual heat should wilt the leaves in about 15 seconds while keeping them green and perfumed. Cover and set aside.
10. Fry the eggs: heat 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Crack in the eggs and fry 2 to 3 minutes, spooning hot oil over the whites, until the edges are lacy and browned and the yolks are still runny. Season lightly with salt.
11. Mound the fried rice into bowls, top each with a fried egg, and serve immediately with lime wedges, cucumber slices, and a dish of fish sauce with chilies for anyone who wants more heat.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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