Salted Fish Chicken Fried Rice

0/4

Work top to bottom — prep ahead while timers run

Gather everything first, then follow the steps

Protein· 3

80 g chicken breast (small dice)80g
15 g salted fish (finely chopped)15g
1 egg55g

Carbs· 1

55 g jasmine rice (as cold day-old rice)55g

Vegetables· 3

40 g choy sum (chopped)40g
8 g garlic (minced)8g
10 g spring onion (chopped)(optional)10g

Spices· 1

pinch of white pepper(staple)1g

Fats & oils· 1

6 g cooking oil (~1.5 tsp)6g

Loosen the cold day-old rice into separate grains; dice the chicken breast, finely chop the salted fish and choy sum, mince the garlic and beat the egg.
Why? Cold day-old rice is drier and its grains separate, so it fries up loose and soaks up little oil; fresh hot rice clumps and needs far more oil to break apart.
Tip: No day-old rice? Spread hot rice out to cool for 15 min, then chill it briefly in the fridge.
Next up:Heat 1 tsp of the oil over low heat and fry the salted fish for ~1 min until dry and fragrant, then set aside; in the same pan scramble the egg and set that aside too.
1 min · hands-free
Heat 1 tsp of the oil over low heat and fry the salted fish for ~1 min until dry and fragrant, then set aside; in the same pan scramble the egg and set that aside too.
Why? Frying the salted fish low and slow draws out its salty aroma and oils — that deep umami is the soul of the dish, and with it as the base you don't need heaps of oil or MSG for flavour.
Watch out: Salted fish is very salty — add no extra salt, and taste before seasoning further.
01:00
Next up:Add the last tsp of oil, fry the garlic over medium-high until fragrant, then add the chicken and stir-fry 2 min until it turns white.
2 min · hands-free
Add the last tsp of oil, fry the garlic over medium-high until fragrant, then add the chicken and stir-fry 2 min until it turns white.
Why? Cook the chicken just until it's no longer pink — overcooking dries lean breast out; searing the garlic and chicken first builds a base aroma that carries through once the rice goes in.
Tip: Dice the chicken small and even so it cooks through in 2 min and stays tender.
02:00
Next up:Add the cold rice and stir-fry hard for 2 min, pressing it out and tossing, then fold in the salted fish, egg and choy sum for 1 min; finish with white pepper and spring onion.
2 min · hands-free
Add the cold rice and stir-fry hard for 2 min, pressing it out and tossing, then fold in the salted fish, egg and choy sum for 1 min; finish with white pepper and spring onion.
Why? High heat and pressing the rice out coax out the smoky 'wok breath'; adding the choy sum last keeps it crisp and nutritious, so the plate balances protein and veg.
Tip: Stir less and let the rice sit against the pan for a few seconds — that's how the toasty aroma develops.
02:00