Real Fried Rice

I'm always amazed that when I go to a Japanese or Chinese restaurant, the fried rice tastes SO SO SO different than the kind I have made at my house. So I asked my mom how she makes hers and she used the below recipe to school me! I tasted it and have to agree that hers is the closest I have ever tasted to restaurant quality (the good kind!).

Ingredients:1/3 cup plain vegetable oil, like soy, corn, or peanut
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 whole scallions, thinly sliced on the bias, white and green separated
1 1/3 cups (6 ounces) medley frozen corn, peas, carrots
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cold cooked long-grain rice, white or jasmine rice, grains separated
Directions:1. Heat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot add 1 tablespoon of the oil.  Add the onions to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until onion is fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the frozen vegetables. Cook until just defrosted but still crisp. Transfer contents of the skillet to a large bowl.
2. Return the pan to the heat and add 2 more tablespoons of oil. Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir the eggs constantly and cook until almost set but still moist, then transfer egg to the bowl. Break the eggs up with a wooden spoon or spatula.
3. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the rice to the pan and use a spoon to break up any clumps. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry the rice to coat evenly with oil. Stop stirring, and then let the rice cook undisturbed until its gets slightly crispy, about 2 minutes. Stir the rice again, breaking up any new clumps. Add the scallion greens. Transfer to the bowl. Stir all the ingredients together with the rice, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve.


Tips:
Do not crowd the pan or the veggies will steam instead of cooking crisp and make the final dish soggy. The egg is cooked right before the rice because it has a tendency to stick to the pan and remnants in the pan burn as the other ingredients are cooked. When cooked right before the rice, any remnants become incorporated into the rice. Although jasmine rice is preferable, any kind of long grain rice can be used. Avoid using medium and short-grained rice as they tend to be sticky. Also, the rice should not be warm fresh rice, otherwise it will also tend to be sticky.

Recipe adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/fried-rice-recipe2/index.html