Shrimp Fried Rice

Fridays in Trout Lake. Not traditionally a big cooking night for us. After a week in the trenches, we usually try to keep it simple - Last Friday was no exception, however we did try something new - Fried rice on the Weber. Alice and Arch hooked us up with the Weber wok  last year for Christmas. We've been using it rather frequently, but we hadn't tried it for fried rice, That is, up until last week.....

It went down something like this: (Remember, you can always click on the pictures to get a larger version)

When I was young man moving from Chicago to Seattle in the early 80's my very first job was at a Japanese restaurant. I can tell you that they didn't hire me for expertise in Asian cooking - More for my ability to wash dishes and bus tables. Quickly I took an interest in the food preparation side of things, and before you know it, I had bought my very first vegetable knife and was doing most of of the prep - I think the owners  were intrigued by this young white guy that wanted to learn how to use a knife and prepare sushi - Anyway, it was during that time that I developed a taste for good Asian food and a fondess of its preparation - That has stuck with me over the years, which leads us to Friday nights dinner.

 After lighting the fire and heating the wok, we start with the egg- It's basically a mixture of egg, green onion, salt and black pepper.  Next, the shrimpys go in. These guys were marinated for about an hour  in olive oil, garlic, thyme, marjoram, oregano, onion, new mexico chile power, chipolti powder, black pepper, and salt.

After the shrimp have cooked, its time to add the rice - The key to good fried rice is to make sure the rice is cold. It should be made the day before or at least spend several hours in the fridge prior to cooking it. I cooked the rice while I was making my coffee in the morning.

It's beginning to look good - the rice is holding up well and not get mushy. Once it gets hot, add a few chopped up scallions for a little soft crunch.

And ready to go - A very simple meal prepared in less than an hour. Perfect for a Friday night in Trout Lake or wherever you may be.