One of the most common misunderstandings of Chinese food is that soy sauce is in everything. It’s not! Further, nearly everyone that talks to me about making fried rice thinks there’s soy sauce in that (even if they know soy sauce is not in everything). There are many different types of fried rice so while the minority may contain soy sauce, the classic/basic version and most do not. Where does the brown color come from? It comes from frying the rice which browns it.

One of my all time favorite kinds of fried rice is Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice. Please do not put soy sauce in it.

salted fish chix

The hardest part of this recipe is finding the right Salted Mackerel. Many different kinds are sold in the Chinese supermarket so you’ll have to do a little trial and error to find which one you like more. Some like the fish that stay together in chunks. Some like the fish that crumble into the rice. This one crumbles…and they vary in level of aroma, which some may find stinky.

Salted Mackerel Package

Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice
~8 side servings

  • 4 cups day old rice
  • 1 1/2 ounces salted mackerel
  • 3 1/2 ounces chicken (white or dark meat), diced into 1/3″ to 1/2″ cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + extra for seasoning
  • 3 large eggs, divided
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 4 scallions, chopped

Instructions –

1. Day-old rice will stick together in one large mass. Break it up with a fork. Set aside.

2. Split the mackerel and remove the bones. Dice into 1/3″ cubes. Set aside.

Salted Mackerel center bone removedSalted Fish Diced

3. In a small bowl, stir together chicken, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.

Chicken prepared with cornstarch and salt

4. Beat 2 eggs in a small bowl and set aside.

5. Heat a large wok on high heat. When you start to see smoke, add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl it around the wok. Add the beaten eggs and stir and flip rapidly as it cooks very rapidly. Break it up into pieces. Immediately remove to a bowl and set aside.

Fried Scrambled Eggs

6. Bring the wok to a medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Swirl it around. Stir-fry the prepared chicken pieces until the pieces turn white. (The chicken will be partially cooked. ) Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Frying Diced Chicken 2

7. Add 1 teaspoon of oil  to the wok and swirl. Add  half of the scallions and stir-fry them. Add 2 teaspoons of oil, swirl, and add the diced mackerel. Toss and few times until well combined.

8. Add the other half of the scallions in. Add the rice and flip constantly while adding 2 pinches of salt. Add the partially cooked chicken and flip to combine. Add the cooked eggs and stir and flip for 2 minutes. Check for seasoning.

Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice 5

9. If the rice looks oily crack the last egg on top and stir/flip until well combined. The egg will soak up any extra oil. If it doesn’t look oily, you don’t need the 3rd egg. Serve.

Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice 2

*This recipe is meant to be a side dish but you can adjust for a little more chicken if you want it to feel more substantial.

 

posted by jessica at 11:06 AM Filed under Chinese, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.