I’ve been bad lately; sleeping late and waking up late as well. This mean skipping what nutritionist calls the most important meal of the day-breakfast. When yesterday lunch time rolled around I just popped the fridge and put together what I had which resulted in this surprisingly yummy Pickled Mustard Green Fried Rice (Bai Cha Jruk Spey) បាយឆារជ្រុក់ស្ពី.

I had my share of mushy fried rice days until recently. After numerous trial and error and with some research online I was able to perfect my fried rice, IMHO. Here are my tested tips to homemade but  restaurant style/quality fried rice.

• Chill left-over rice in the refrigerator overnight.
  This will allow the liquid to dry up and the grains to hold it’s shape and not turn mushy when frying. The sauce and seasonings will liven it back up. The rice grains will absorb all the liquid making them flavorful in every bite.
• Fry ingredients separately.
  This will ensure that each item you lay on the pan get their share of “wok/pan time”. You want to be able to taste each of the flavors and not crowd them. Since all the ingredients will joined again at the end, you only have to cook it to about 80%.
• High heat is essential.
  Just be patient and allow the pan to heat up again before you start frying the next item.
• Try not to touch!
  Sometime we are tempted to start moving thing around fearing they might burn. Spread them out and use all the pan surface. Give them a chance to cook and crisp up then go at it. If you do too much digging and poking, you will end up breaking the rice grains releasing the starch which results in a mushy and sticky fried rice.

Ingredients
2.5 cups cooked rice
10 lil’ smokie, cut into cube
3 eggs, lightly beaten season with a dash of salt & pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 hot red bird’s eye chili, chopped (optional)
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1 cup chopped pickled mustard greens

Seasoning
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon sesame oil

Method:

Prepare seasoning and set aside.

Heat a pan til hot then toss in lil’ smokie. There is no need to add oil as the meat will draw out it’s own oil. For a nice and crunchy meat make sure to arrange them in a single layer on the pan. Do not touch it! Let it cook for about 1 minute on each side. Remove, leaving the fat behind, and set aside.

Wait a couple of seconds for the pan to heat up again and use the remainder oil in the pan to quickly fry the lightly beaten eggs. Separate them with a spatula.  Remove when it’s 80% cooked. The eggs should still be a bit watery.

In the same pan add garlic, chili, ¾ chopped green onions and do a quick stir fry until fragrant but carefully not to burn them. Next toss in chopped pickled mustard greens and spread them out.  Make a well in the middle (or move them to the side).

Add cooked rice (try to do it in a single layer so that the grains touch the bottom of the pan). Leave it alone for a couple of minutes before you start to stir them around. This will allow the rice to crisp up.

Pour seasoning all around and continue to stir fry to incorporate the flavors. You will notice that the rice grains barely stick to the pan. They are still plumped and not mushy. This is because you allow them “wok time”  ( a chance to touch the bottom on the pan/wok).

Finally return the lil’ smokie and fried eggs and mix them together one more time.

Dish out to serve and sprinkle with the remainder chopped green onion.  Enjoy this delicious creation of mine . I hope that my tips were helpful to you and that you enjoyed making and eating this as much as I did.

Cambodian (Khmer) Style Hot Pot

My family calls it Yao Hon យ៉ាវហន while others calls it “Chhnang Pleurng​​ ឆ្នាំងភ្លើង” which literally means Fire Pot. I think the later one sort of suits more. Matter of fact, I don’t even know how we got the name Yao Hon. If anybody knows, please do share. It sound kind of Chinese? ​ Hot pot is great to enjoy in groups as it encourage socializing in an informal setting.

I get my vegetable nutrients the most when having it as a side dish for hot pot. However I am a bit picky when it comes to vegetable selections. There are only a couple that are my “must have” such as Watercress, Cabbage and the latest Chrysanthemum leaves (Tang O or Tang Oh). Anything other than that aren’t necessary but I don’t mind eating either. As for the meat I am not much of a fan for beef anymore. I think it’s because when ever I decide to make hot pot it’s usually because I want to eat my vegetables so meat is secondary. But it does add another layer of rich flavor to the broth so I usually have it available as well. Another item I like to also have is cuttlefish or squid.  Hot Pot is also a great way to to clear out your fridge by using up your meats and vegetables. Mind sharing your favorite hot pot side dishes?

It seems like everybody has their own way of making the broth depending on many factors. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way. My version of Yao Hon broth is pretty rich and flavorful not to mention spicy as well. It uses a lot of different spices such as bean curd, BBQ sauce and Satay Sauce. In addition you can also add a combination of water, chicken stock, Coco Rico, or your choice of beer. Yeah you heard me right, I add beer to mine. No you won’t get buzz or drunk because the alcohol pretty much evaporates during the cooking process. I made a very big pot of broth because I plan to freeze  and enjoy the other half at a later time. Adjust amount accordingly.

Ingredients
1 jar (13 oz) fermented bean curd with or without chili
3 full tablespoons hot & spicy BBQ sauce – Asian Style, look for the tin jar as pictured
4 tablespoons BBQ sauce (the jar specify it’s for Yao Hon), it taste like Satay Sauce
1 can pineapple, drained and cut into bite size
1 can chicken stock (14 oz)
2 can water – use the empty chicken stock can to measure
1 12oz bottle Guinness Beer – substitute with either Coco Rico or other type of clear soda drinks
sugar & fish sauce to taste

Side Dishes: Select your choice of meats & vegetables.  Here i have some cabbage, watercress, spinach, chrysanthemum leaves, seafood mix, beef and some left-over grilled chicken from Chinese take-out the night before.

Method:
In a large pot empty the jar of bean curd and break it down to a smooth paste.  Once it’s broken, turn on the heat and add the BBQ sauce, satay sauce, chicken stock, water, and the soda. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes and simmer another 7-10 minutes.

Just before you are about to turn off the heat add the pineapple. Season with sugar and fish sauce. I did not provide measurements because the flavor will depends on what type of liquid you are using. For example, if you are using Coco Rico it has a sweetness flavor already so you might want to cut down on adding sugar.

Transfer the broth to your hot pot and wait for it to boil again then start adding your meats and vegetables.  Some like to have it with noodles while others like me prefer just plain-o steamed rice.

For sanitary purposes it’s best to use a separate utensil to pick up your raw meats.

Have fun and enjoy your Cambodian Style Hot Pot