Chinese Sausage Fried Rice

I usually make a pot of jasmine rice every few days. As the rice starts to get a little old, I usually make fried rice or porridge. Fried rice is best made with old rice but I have on occasion made fried rice with freshly steamed rice. If that is the case I will cook the rice with slightly less water and after it has cooked and had time to rest, I will spread the rice in a thin layer and fan it until it cools.

For the longest time good restaurant style fried rice has eluded me then one day I dared to stray from my usual soy sauce and oyster sauce seasoning. I simply seasoned it with a little Maggi sauce and fish sauce. Voila! My fried rice tasted like the kind I order at the restaurant.

I make this with different meats and vegetables depending on what I find in the fridge and what I am in the mood for. I was planning on making it with shrimp this time around but I forgot. I was scooping up a spoonful of fried rice when I remembered the shrimp.

Ingredient Note: Maggi seasoning sauce is a popular sauce made by Nestle. There are several versions found in various countries. The kind you want to use in this recipe is the product of China version. Here is a blog about the various Maggi sauces. The one you want is version C on the blog. Here is another blogger blogging about Maggi sauce. The sauce I use is the second from the left. It reads, "Maggi Seasoning Improves the Taste." Golden Mountain seasoning sauce is the Thai equivalent but I think it tastes different. I also have Golden Mountain in my pantry and for some reason I only use it on my fried eggs with rice (the bf thinks it is a strange breakfast).

Choose one or two or as many as you like from meat group:
- 3 links Chinese sausage (lop chong), sliced
- 3 hot dogs
- 1 boneless chicken breast
- handful of shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- 1 cup char sui, diced
Choose one or two or as many as you like from the veggie group:
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- handful broccoli florets
- 2 cups carrots, dices
- handful sugar snap peas
- 1 tomato, concasse
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup shelled endamame

Rest of ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 to 4 cups leftover jasmine rice
- msg
- fish sauce
- maggi seasoning sauce
- black pepper
- 3 large eggs

Optional:
- Cilantro, chopped
- Thai basil, chopped

1. Choose your ingredients and prep them.
2. Using a wooden spoon, break up the rice grains and season with msg, fish sauce, maggi sauce and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Add about 2 tablespoons oil to a heated wok. Heat oil on high heat and then add meat and cook until done. If using shrimp, set them aside. Add veggies to wok. It is important to cook out all the liquid if using frozen veggies.
4. When liquid has evaporated, add the seasoned rice. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. I actually like to let it sit a bit to form a crust on the bottom. Move the rice to one side, add a little more oil if it has been absorbed by the rice. Add the eggs and scramble them until cook. Incorporate everything together. Turn off heat and add cilantro and/or thai basil, if using.
5. Let rice sit in wok for about 5 to 10 minutes. The burnt bottom rice grains will release from the wok. The burnt rice at the bottom is my favorite part of fried rice (and paella).