I am very strong on the point that St. Louis has the best fried rice in the country. If anyone wants to argue they can meet me there for a food battle. The origins of St. Louis fried rice is similar, yet distinctive from other places. You can compare what we call “chop suey” restaurants to bodegas in NY. The are normally small locations in a strip mall or a small standalone building. They may have a large menu posted on the wall with priving and plexiglass between you and the kitchen. They are family owned and follow the same pattern as other restaurants in the area. Most of the food made in these spots have been adapted for the culture that they serve. They have responded to their customers to add a more saltier and heavier flavor outside of traditional Chinese cuisine.
If you ever walked into a Chinese restaurant and saw a “worker”on break they are most likely eating a dish that consists of noodles and veggies. They don’t really eat the fattier dishes that we order. With that being said their servings are DELICIOUS in moderation.
While some of the major dishes change based on the region that restaurant come from (Cantonese vs. Sichuan) they normally make fried rice the same. The key to mimicking this recipe is to make sure you have two key ingredients: Shaoxing Wine and Dark Soy Sauce. This is the difference between “close” and “just like”. Shaoxing wine is the ingredient that you don’t realize is in every great Chinese dish, but you know when it’s not there. A bottle only costs about $4.00 at an asian grocery store and will last for a long time. It’s definitely worth the purchase. The dark soy sauce add the heaviness and rich color to the rice.
The other secret to good fried rice is to use day old rice. The easiest way to cook rice is with
a rice cooker. You can buy one from your favorite local store for about $15. It has a 6 cup capacity.
Any meat will do. I used Shrimp for this recipe, but you can use leftover chopped ham or pork, You can also diced a couple of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and add to the dish as well in place of the shrimp.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 6 cups Cooked White Rice Day old rice is better
- 3 Eggs beaten
- 1 lb Medium Shrimp Raw, peeled and deveined
- 1 bunch Green Onions (sliced)
- 1 Medium Onion (diced)
- 1 cup Bean Sprouts optional
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine (or rice wine)
- 1 tsp White Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 4 tbsp Vegetable oil divided
- 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Shaoxing Wine (rice wine)
- 2 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tsp Granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Vegetable oil
Ingredients
Soy Sauce Mixture
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- Add all soy sauce mixture items into a small bowl. Stir to help dissolve sugar. Place in the microwave and heat for 1 minute. This will help thicken the sauce. Mix beaten eggs with 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine and a little salt. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in your wok over high heat. Quickly scramble the eggs, and transfer to a dish. Add 1 tablespoon of oil in your wok over high heat. Add onions and bean sprouts (optional). My advice would be to use fresh beans sprouts over the canned version if using. Saute for 2-3 minutes and transfer to a dish. Add 1 tablespoon of oil in your wok over high heat. Add shrimp to the wok and seasoning with a couple of shakes of white pepper. Saute until opaque (2-3 minutes) and transfer to a dish. Turn the heat down to medium high and add 1 tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the rice, stir for a couple of minutes to make sure the rice is heated through. Stir in soy sauce mixture, eggs, shrimp, onions and bean sprouts. Continue stirring mixture until everything until combined (about 5-7 minutes). Make sure to spread the rice around evenly in the wok, using the tall sides to let all the rice get crispy and well fried. Add green onions and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until rice is well fried, but not burnt.