Fried rice is a staple in almost every household in Asia. Every family has unique style to an amazing plateful of fried rice. At it’s most basic variation, fried rice is simply topped with frozen mixed vegetables and some prawns, this can be levelled up to include char siew (barbecued pork) and a multitude of optional ingredients, limited only by one’s imagination.
The fancier versions of this humble fried rice include versions such as pineapple fried rice (with tiny chunks of pineapple) often served in a hollowed-out half pineapple, partially baked to further enhance it’s aroma and belacan fried rice which incorporates a Peranakan essential belacan, a pan-fried powder shrimp paste that is exceedingly strong smelling (think smelly socks), but is amazingly tasty.
In making fried rice, it is essential to use left-over rice. It’s best to use overnight or a few days old rice that has been left left to dehydrate in the fridge. This helps the rice dry out and makes it much easier to cook to the correct texture.
This salted duck egg and belacan fried rice recipe was a product of an experiment which turned out amazingly well.
In this version the salted duck egg is used to season and flavour the rice and it does this generously. It is important to mash up as much of the yolk as possible leaving it in tiny chunks. The addition of belacan simply enhances both the taste of the duck egg and the smell of the fried rice.
Salted Duck Egg Belacan Fried Rice
A creative twist on the standard fried rice with the use of salted duck eggs and belacan
Equipment
- Frying Wok
Ingredients
- 1 salted duck egg yolk mashed
- 2 tsp belacan powder
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp light soya sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1.5 cups refrigerated day old rice ensure grains well separated
- 8 king prawns
- 1/2 cup petit pois
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan
- Toss in onions and garlic, and stir fry until fragrant and translucent
- Add the mashed salted duck egg and continue breaking up the yolk as it cooks
- Add the prawns and petit pois stir fry until the prawns are almost cooked through
- Carefully add the rice in and mix well. Make sure that the rice is evenly distributed and coated with the other ingredients in the pan
- Continue stir frying for 2-3 minutes
- When you see that everything is evenly coated and distributed, evenly distribute salt over the rice
- Then make a well in the centre of the pan
- Add the 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in to the centre of the well
- Break the two eggs in to the well. Break up the yolks and let it cook for about half a minute
- Begin mixing the rice in to the egg
- Mix well to ensure even distribution of the egg
- Evenly spread the belacan over the rice
- Continue to stir-fry until fragrant and very lightly charred
Notes
Serve immediately. Enjoy while hot.
