What Did the Fried Rice Say to the Shrimp? The Ultimate Food Joke That’ll Make You Laugh!

Quick Easy Chinese Shrimp Fried Rice

• 4 ½ cups cooked jasmine rice day-old and cold (see below Notes for amount of uncooked rice to use)
• 1 lb jumbo shrimp or large shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1 shallot finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup carrot small diced (or sub with corn niblets)
• ½ cup peas fresh or frozen (or sub with small chopped green beans)
• 3 large eggs beaten
• 4 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
• ½ green onion finely chopped for garnish

• 1.5 teaspoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
• 1.5 teaspoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine or dry sherry/dry white wine/chicken broth
• 1.5 teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch/tapioca starch
• 1.5 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil

• In a large bowl, marinate peeled and deveined shrimp with marinade ingredients as listed above for 5 minutes and set aside.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the sauce ingredients as listed. Set aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoon or 45 ml of vegetable oil in a large pan or wok on medium-high heat. Fry shrimp until 50% cooked, about 15-20 seconds. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
• Fry garlic and shallots for 10 seconds or until softened. Quickly add in green peas and carrots and fry for another 10 seconds. Push everything to the side of the wok.
• Add remaining vegetable oil into empty space. Pour in the beaten eggs, then scramble before mixing with the other ingredients.
• Mix in the shrimp. Add rice and pour the sauce around the rice along the edges of the pan. Toss everything together until all rice grains are colored brown. Remove off heat and garnish with green onions.

How to dry out hot rice?

Spread out hot or warm rice on a large sheet pan in a single layer, pop it into the freezer fully exposed for 60 minutes to dry out the moisture. Then break up the cold rice with clean hands with a bit of neutral oil on them to prevent sticking.

• Shallot: or substitute with ¼ of a small onion.
• Garlic Cloves: or substitute with ½ teaspoon garlic powder mixed into the sauce.
• Carrots: or substitute with fresh or frozen corn niblets or finely diced bell peppers.
• Peas: fresh or frozen peas both work or substitute with fresh or frozen chopped green beans, broccoli florets, or edamame.
• Eggs
• Neutral Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
• Green onions: for garnishing (optional).

• Shrimp: fresh or frozen large to jumbo shrimp are recommended. Or substitute with small shrimp. Get the easy peel deveined kind to make things easier.
• Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
• Shaoxing Wine: a Chinese rice cooking wine sold at many Asian grocery stores. Or substitute with Dry Sherry or dry white wine. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute with chicken broth.
• Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch, tapioca starch or arrowroot starch.
• Neutral Oil

• Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
• Dark Soy Sauce: this is thicker and darker than regular soy sauce. Or substitute with mushroom soy sauce.
• Sesame Oil: or substitute with sesame seeds. If youre allergic to sesame, omit it.
• Chicken Bouillon Powder: this is also known as Chicken stock powder.
• White Pepper: or substitute with black pepper.

• If you’re gluten-free, substitute both soy sauces with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce and substitute the chicken bouillon with a gluten-free version.
• If youre vegan or vegetarian, omit the shrimp, chicken bouillon powder and eggs. Add in more veggies of your choice and more soy sauce to taste.
• Not a fan of shrimp? Substitute with chicken, more eggs, beef or pork.

Note: The Asian grocery store will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.

• Use cold day-old rice and avoid using hot rice. Day-old cold rice will ensure a fluffier fried rice with separated grains.
• Break up the rice prior to frying with clean hands or a rice paddle. This exposes the surface area of each grain so it can be seasoned and toasted better in the pan.
• Rinse the peeled and deveined shrimp with cold water to remove any tiny shells or dirt and strain the shrimp to remove excess moisture. This prevents the shrimp from tasting fishy.
• Use a carbon steel wok for optional smoky flavor. When the oil hits the hot steel it creates a smoke to season the food in the pan. This is the secret ingredient to most Chinese takeout.
• Pour the sauce around the rice along the edges of the pan. When the sauce mixture hits the pan, it “toasts” the sauce creating extra umami flavor!

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make shrimp fried rice:

• In a large bowl, marinate peeled and deveined shrimp with marinade ingredients as listed above for 5 minutes and set aside.

• In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the sauce ingredients as listed. Set aside.

• Heat 3 tablespoon or 45 ml of vegetable oil in a large pan or wok on medium-high heat. Fry shrimp until 50% cooked, about 15-20 seconds. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

• Fry garlic and shallots for 10 seconds or until softened. Quickly add in green peas and carrots and fry for another 10 seconds. Push everything to the side of the wok.

• Add remaining vegetable oil into empty space. Pour in the beaten eggs, then scramble before mixing with the other ingredients.

• Mix in the shrimp. Add rice and pour the sauce around the rice along the edges of the pan. Toss everything together until all rice grains are colored brown. Remove off heat and garnish with green onions.

• Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat in a pan on medium heat until hot.
• Freezer friendly? Fried rice can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat, defrost it overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop in a pan or microwave from frozen until hot.

Shrimp fried rice serves well with:

Shrimp fried rice can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat until hot.

Soggy fried rice can be due to a few different reasons: – Day-old rice was not used. This is the key to preventing mushy fried rice. – Proteins and vegetables were added after rice was added to wok creating excess moisture. – The heat wasn’t high enough. You should use at least medium-high heat or higher, especially in a carbon steel wok. This creates a non-stick cooking surface.

No, a large pan will work too! But if you want that smoky taste that youll find in most Asian takeout, use a steel wok. When the oil hits the hot steel, it creates a smoke in the air that envelops the food making it taste smoky.

Dad Joke – What did the fried rice say to the shrimp?

FAQ

What is the history of shrimp fried rice?

The Cultural Significance of Shrimp Fried Rice In China, shrimp fried rice is a beloved dish that embodies the principles of resourcefulness and thriftiness. This iconic dish originated as a way to repurpose leftover rice, combining it with an assortment of ingredients like vegetables, meat or seafood, and spices.

What is the fried rice syndrome on Tik Tok?

What Is Fried Rice Syndrome? TikTok Draws Attention to Dangers of Reheating Leftover Rice. It can lead to death in some cases. Leftovers are an essential part of many people’s refrigerators, but there’s one item you’ve been storing and reheating later that you might want to consider ditching.

What is the secret ingredient to restaurant fried rice?

Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing Wine) (or Mirin or dry sherry) is the “secret ingredient” in fried rice.

What does fried rice symbolize?

In every region, fried rice is not just a reflection of local ingredients and tastes but also a symbol of the adaptability and creativity inherent in culinary practices.