Dad's Fried Rice

This has to be some kind of record.  Aside from this little post about a delightful combination of favorite things, I have not shared a recipe for over 3 months.

I am so sorry.


If there is one thing this blog is good for, it is a recipe.  And I have failed you.  Thank you for hanging in there with me.

While I'm apologizing... it is ridiculous that I have not taught you how to make fried rice yet!  This is one of those family recipes that should have been the first recipe I ever shared.  In my defense, I was going to do it last September.  I cooked it and took pictures and everything.  Then I lost the camera.  So, yeah... we're just now getting back to it.

This is my Dad's recipe.  It is a no- recipe recipe.  One of those where if someone where to ask for your recipe, you would be like "Uhh...ummm...I just make it."  I wouldn't even know where to begin if I were to try to write it down.  Except... I guess that's what I'm doing right now.  So I guess this is where I would start.

Dad taught me how to make this, although "taught" seems so... intentional.  Really, I just was the helper in the kitchen whenever he made this (often to accompany sweet and sour pork), and in the process of telling me how to help him, he taught me how to make this.

Note: Making sweet & sour Pork with fried rice is kind of this thing my dad and I do together.  I think I helped him twice in a row, which in my mind forever cements it as a tradition.  So from there on out, I was Dad's appointed helper.  If anyone else so much as volunteered to peel an onion,  I would scream at them and burst into tears, telling them that this was MY JOB and they wouldn't possibly know how to help.  For the record, I still haven't grown out of this.  When everyone else is home but me and dad makes it, mom gently--oh, so gently-- mentions who helped him (because we all know he couldn't accomplish the sweet & sour pork AND fried rice feat single-handedly.  Dad can do many things, but NOT that), and she quickly explains that it was just because I wasn't there to help.

What I'm saying is, my identity is closely wrapped up in this fried rice thing and I should maybe seek therapy.

Let's get started, shall we?

Here's what you need for Dad's Fried Rice: Rice (duh), carrots, frozen peas, eggs, onion, bacon, soy sauce, and maybe a little splash of half and half.  Or milk.  Whatever you have around is fine.

I suppose a wok would be a logical choice to make this in, but I use an electric skillet, because food doesn't stick as much.  Also, I could have this on the counter with more sunlight for taking better pictures.  A wok on the stove would work just fine.  

First: start your rice cooking so it is ready when you are ready.  Make as much rice as you want.

Throw some chopped bacon in the skillet.  This was maybe 6 strips.  You can use 3 strips... you can use a whole pound.  You could even skip the bacon and just use some oil.  But that wouldn't be Dad's Fried Rice, now would it?

While your bacon starts cooking and the fat starts rendering, chop up some onion.

Also, peel and chop some carrots.  

Once the bacon gets hot and you have some bacon grease in the pan, throw in the carrots.  We put them in a little before the onions because they take a little longer to cook.

After a few minutes, throw in the chopped onion and let that cook a little.

Now it's time for the peas.  Let me tell you something about peas: I don't like them.  When I would help Dad make fried rice and it was time for the peas, this is the conversation we would have:

Dad: I need you to get the peas out of the freezer.

Me: Open the freezer and close it in about 1 second. There's no peas.  We must be out.

Dad: Rolls eyes, opens the freezer.  Takes out the bag of peas that are RIGHT THERE.  Oh!  Look what I found! Lovingly pulls on my ear while making an exasperated sound.

Me:  Why do we have to put peas in anyway, Dad?  They're gross.

Dad: They add nice color to it.

Me: When I'm grown up and make fried rice, I'm never going to put peas in it.

The conversation pretty much went exactly like this EVERY TIME.  Dad and I are creatures of habit.

The first few times I made fried rice on my own, I didn't put peas in it.  But as you can see, I do now.  Why?  No, I didn't start to like peas.  It's just that... they add nice color, you know?

Add the peas to the skillet and stir them around until they don't look frosty anymore.

This is where things start to get tricky.  But don't worry... this is the worst part, and it's not even that tricky.  Especially if you're using an electric skillet.

Crack a couple of eggs in a little bowl and scramble them up.  Maybe add a splash of half and half or milk if you're into that kind of thing.  If you just go with the eggs, that's fine.

This is where the electric skillet comes in handy.  Tilt the skillet and prop up one side.

Move all of the food-stuffs to the high side, letting the extra grease run down to the low side.  (If you're using a wok or some other large pan, you could also just clear a spot in the center of it.)

Pour the egg mixture into the low side.  See how this is starting to work here?  It keeps the eggs separate from the other food while it cooks.  Otherwise, you would just have egg-coated carrots and onions, and who wants that?

Scramble!

Then mix it all together.  Your rice should be about down by now.

Add that to the skillet and mix, mix, mix!

 You know how fried rice is brown?  Its the soy sauce.

Add as much as you want.  I usually want more than Tim, so I try to keep it under control (you can always add more later).

Let the rice sit and fry for awhile, then turn it, and keep frying.  Frying time depends on your levels of hunger and patience.

And that's it!  Fried rice by itself is considered a meal in itself at this house.  I also consider it a pantry meal, because I almost always have the ingredients on hand.  Yes, I always try to have bacon in the refrigerator.

You can make as much or as little as you want.  I think for this batch I cooked 1 dry cup of rice, but I meant to cook two.  I guess I would suggest at least a quarter pound of bacon and one egg for every cup of rice?  I just eyeball it on the peas....ONLY enough to add color.

If you have leftover chicken or pork you could certainly use that for fried rice.  If there are other veggies you like, throw them in.  Cashews or peanuts could also be a tasty addition.  Sometimes I have also been known to add garlic.

So here's my burning question for you.  Does/did your dad cook?  What were his specialties?  My dad can really cook anything, but mashed potatoes and gravy are his responsibility.  I think what happened was my mom made them once and he mentioned something about a lump so... now its his job.  :)