SHRIMP FRIED RICE

This recipe is light, flavorful, versatile and most of it can be made ahead and just heated together at meal time. It is one of our favorite's (summer AND winter) and double or tripled, it is great for a crowd!! 

 

3 cups of cold COOKED rice (day old rice is best)
5 slices of bacon (save 2 tablespoons bacon fat )
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/4 cup sliced green onion tops
1 pound of  large shrimp
2 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
dry crushed red pepper flakes to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Sliced cherry tomatoes for decoration
Any veggies you want to add (cooked and chopped)


Spray your largest frying pan with vegetable spray and heat to medium high. Beat 2 eggs and pour them into the pan, tilting the pan so the eggs spread out nice and thin. When the eggs are starting to "set", sprinkle lightly with a few crushed red pepper flakes. Flip the eggs over and remove from heat. If the eggs don't flip over in one piece, that's ok, just keep the pieces as large and thin as you can. Remove from pan.

When the eggs are cool enough to handle, roll them up and slice thinly (to get thin strips of egg). This sounds like a hassle, but it is an important part of the dish; set aside.


Fry 5 slices of bacon until crispy, remove and drain on paper towels set aside (reserve some bacon fat).

Put 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat in a wok or large frying pan, add 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion and saute until tender; add 3 cups of COLD cooked rice, the crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup sliced green onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and any other chopped (cooked) vegetables you want to include; gently mix over medium heat.

Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and one pound of COOKED shrimp (see note). Gently toss, and heat through; gently stir in egg strips just before serving. Decorate with sliced cherry tomatoes.

NOTE: If you are using precooked shrimp, just stir them in at the end of the recipe.

NOTE: If you are using raw shrimp (which I highly recommend), CLICK HERE for my easy cooking method.

NOTE: If you are using  frozen raw shrimp, make sure they are completely thawed and drained and patted dry before you cook them (or they will boil as they defrost and get rubbery).

NOTE: It is important that the rice used in this recipe be made ahead of time and chilled in the fridge. It is a great use for leftover rice. 

NOTE: You will not be happy with the outcome of this recipe  if you use freshly made rice.