This simple fried rice has been made to accompany other dishes so we’ve only used a few ingredients: garlic shoots, green peppercorns and fish sauce are the heroes here. To make the dish more of a meal, add prawns and serve it with lime and cucumber. Begin this recipe a day ahead to dry out the rice and firm it up.
Ingredients
Method
1.Cook rice by the absorption method: place in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 2.5cm (up to your first thumb joint), season to taste with salt, bring to the boil, stir, then reduce heat to lowest setting, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Set aside without uncovering for 10 minutes. Spread rice on a tray and cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to dry.
2.Heat 60ml oil in a wok over high heat. Remove peppercorns from 4 stalks and add to wok along with whole sprigs, then stir-fry until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon.
3.Add garlic shoots to wok, stir-fry until bright green (2-3 minutes), then stir in half the rice. Leave for a minute to toast a little, stir-fry to combine (1-2 minutes), then set aside. Add remaining oil to wok and, when hot, repeat with remaining rice, then return all rice, shoots and peppercorns (except sprigs) to wok, stir in fish sauce, then season with pepper and extra fish sauce. Serve garnished with green peppercorn sprigs.
Fresh green peppercorns and garlic shoots are available from Thai grocers and select supermarkets.
Notes