Leftover Roast Chicken Fried Rice

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The Sunday roast and the takeaway rice carton meet in one hot pan. Cold day-old rice fries up into separate, slightly chewy grains, shredded roast chicken warms through in the soy, and a scramble of egg plus a handful of ginger and scallion makes it taste deliberate rather than thrifty. Twelve minutes from fridge to table, one pan to wash.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cold leftover cooked rice (day-old)
• 2 cups leftover roast chicken, shredded or diced
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 5 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Tip the cold rice into a bowl and break up every clump with wet hands or a fork until the grains are loose and separate — this is the single thing that decides whether the fried rice is fluffy or gluey. Have the chicken, beaten eggs, scallions, ginger and garlic all within reach of the stove.
2. Set a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Pour in the beaten eggs and let them sit 20 seconds, then stir with a spatula for about 45 seconds until just set but still glossy. Scrape onto a plate and break into pieces.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the empty pan and raise the heat to high. Add the scallion whites, ginger and garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned, then add the frozen peas and carrots and stir-fry 1 minute more.
4. Add the rice and press it out across the pan in an even layer. Leave it undisturbed for 1 minute to catch and toast, then toss and press again. Repeat for a total of 4 to 5 minutes, until the rice is hot through and you can hear it crackling.
5. Scatter in the shredded roast chicken and drizzle the soy sauce around the hot edge of the pan rather than over the middle. Toss for 2 minutes, until the chicken is heated through and the rice has taken on an even light-brown colour.
6. Return the egg to the pan, kill the heat, and fold through with the sesame oil and the scallion greens. Taste and add a splash more soy sauce if it needs it, then serve straight from the pan.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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