Simple Fried Rice

Ingredients

Base

• 2 cups leftover rice - cold; day-old is ideal
• 1/4 onion - finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp butter

Seasoning

• 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• A tiny splash of vinegar - ideally rice vinegar
• A dash of white pepper

Method

1. Build the umami butter. Melt the butter in the pan over medium heat. Add the Better Than Bouillon and smash it into the butter with your spatula until it dissolves into a smooth, golden liquid.

2. Sauté the aromatics. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic powder and white pepper and toast for 15 seconds.

3. Fry the rice. Turn the heat to high. Break up any clumps of cold rice and add it to the pan. Toss to coat every grain, then let it sit undisturbed for 45 seconds to crisp before tossing again. Repeat until heated through.

4. Season and finish. Drizzle the soy sauce around the edge of the pan so it sizzles, then toss it through the rice. Off the heat, add the vinegar and sesame oil, toss once more, and serve.

Keys to Good Fried Rice

• Cold, day-old rice. Fresh rice is too wet and turns gummy; cold rice has dried out and fries into separate grains.
• Don’t crowd the pan. Too much rice at once drops the heat and steams it. Cook in batches if your pan is small.
• Go easy on the onion. Onions release water that steams the rice, so cook them down before the rice goes in.
• Season the pan, not the rice. Soy sauce hitting the hot pan edge caramelizes for a second, adding a deeper, toastier flavor.