How Hard Can it Be???
I love Chinese food. Always have, always will. Over the years, I’ve cooked hundreds of chinese meals at home. But, they always lacked something. They’ve always tasted anywhere between okay and bland. I think of it as a cup of tea without sugar. It’s just not the same at all. About a year or so back, I decided to see what I could do to make my own dishes rival the takeaways.
Looking for Help
Anyone searching for “how to make fried rice like a takeout” will find there’s lots of experts out there. Here are a few of the tips I noticed kept coming up:
- You’ve got to use day old rice
- You’ve got to use sugar
- You aren’t using enough salt
- Your hob won’t get hot enough
- Yoo need to use MSG
- You need oyster sauce
MSG must be the Secret Ingredient
When I was a kid, many moons ago, my Granparents always had salt, pepper and MSG on the dining room table.
We had it with everything!!!
MSG is described as a flavour enhancer. It’s main benefits is bringing out other flavours (or so they say). Having tried, salt, sugar, oyster sauce, and none of them making a blind bit of difference, I’m convinced MSG must be the secret ingredient.
Many Months Pass…
A week or so ago, we have a takeaway from our regular place that’s got new owners. I’m hoping thay’re as good, or better, than the old lot. They’re better I find out. Which leads me to be reminded of my desire to make my own better-than-takeway fried rice.
I remember seeing MSG in an asian shop I sometimes visit. I get a bag of 100g for £1.50.
Revision 1 – Today
Yesterday, I prepared the rice. Whilst I don’t think it’s essential to use one day old rice, I 100% agree, that your rice needs to have been cooled and refrigerated before you use it in a stir fry. After you’ve cooked it lay it out on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Shouldn’t take more than about half an hour to be ready to bag up, let cool some more, than put in the fridge.
Anyway, here’s my first attempt, using the MSG, today.
Serves one
1. Whisk up a large egg, with a pinch of white pepper, salt, MSG
2. Chop up a bit of spring onion. Sometimes called green onion
3. Mix 1 tsp dark soy, 1 tsp light soy, bit of salt, bit of black pepper
4. Heat wok on maximum temperature until starts to smoke
5. Add a couple of tablespoons of sunflower oil
6. Wait for it to smoke
7. Add the egg, and let cook. Should take less than 1 minute
8. Add some frozen peas that you took out of freezer about 15 minutes before
9. Cook for about another minute, stirring a lot
10. Add the rice and add about a tablespoon of sesame oil
11. Cook for about 30 seconds
12. Add the soy sauce mixture along with just under a 1/4 tsp of MSG
13. Add the spring onion
14. Cook for another couple of minutes, stirring frequently
15. When the rice is bouncing around, flying out of the wok, it’s ready!
The Taste Test
While I was cooking, I tasted a few times to see if the MSG was having any effect on the flavour. I wasn’t entirely sure! I’d only added less than a 1/4 tsp as I didn’t want it wrecking mu lunch (I was hungry). Near the end, I decided to add a pinch of demerara sugar as it seemed to be missing some sweetness.
I served it up into a bowl, and kept my fingers crossed.
Well, I found that some mouthfuls definitely had that elusive takeaway flavour. But some didn’t…
“Maybe I need to go up to 1/2 tsp of MSG?“
“Maybe I need to add the MSG before cooking?”
One thing I’m definitely changing for revision 2 (tomorrow) is getting some “superior” dark soy sauce. I’ve used it many times, but only had the normal variety todoy. The superior version, is darker, thicker and tastes better. Hopefully, using it will get me a step closer to my goal.
Part 1 Conclusion
This is the best egg fried rice I’ve ever made. It’s nearly like a takeaway egg fried rice, but not quite.
It’s like having a cup of tea with not enough sugar. Part 2 is coming tomorrow (hopefully)…
