Rice: longer grains end up looser but long grain rice is not necessarily mandatory. Wash thoroughly to remove as much starch as possible. If it's ready to eat (like the microwave rice) then lay/spread it out thinly on a plate or baking tray and allow to cool in a fridge. Break up clumps if you see any (this can also be done in the wok). Purists will say not to use microwave rice but it can be done in a pinch, I've done it.
The more proper way is to cook rice regularly (absorption method or rice cooker), lay it out as above overnight. Home made fried rice is made with leftover rice.
The most proper way is to steam the rice in a bamboo steamer and also slightly undercook it. This takes a bit of trial and error and is sparcely done even in China, but if you wondered how the rice for a fried rice is prepared before the invention of fridges, this is it. Steam it and allow it to cool to room temperature. Steamed long grain rice is looser to begin with but the downside is requiring a steamer.
The reason for all of this (and washing) is to make looser grains of rice. Longer grains tend to stick together less than, say, an arborio or sushi rice. Starch makes rice gum up and stick together, which isn't an issue for a paella or sushi, makes fried rice more difficult, clumps are the enemy of a good stir fry, additionally it's harder for seasoning to get inside clumps. Steam from fresh rice also causes grains to stick together, so spreading out and allowing to cool completely let's the steam escape (from steamed rice) and allows excess moisture to evaporate (in absorption/rice cooker rice).
Meat: it's not worth it to "velvet" meat at home, if a recipe calls for it, don't. It requires dry brining cut raw meat in corn starch/corn flour, adding salt, MSG and cooking alcohol (recipe varies by region), flash frying in a deep fryer for 20 seconds then setting aside. It's almost never worth it to do this at home (unless you're realling trying to impress an epicurean). For mince this is an opportunity to break up the clumps. For raw shrimp, rinse more thoroughly than normal.
Other ingredients: cutting to uniform size (usually larger than a brunoise) helps you get a wide variety of different ingredients in the same bite. Obviously broccoli and such can't be cut down to that size so what you've done is good.
Pre-cooking: electric stoves, home burners and such can't reach temperatures to cook all the ingredients. You can't do a Wang Gang style fried rice at home, even if professional chefs do it that way (he has a professional setup at home, despite calling it "home style"). Crowding the wok means there's less heat to go around. Nor the "pouring broth" method which requires temperatures so high a broth/stock that hits the side of the wok instantly evaporates the liquid and leaving behind the flavours. This is simply impossible at home, unless your home is equipped with a stove with so much heat output it requires constant liquid cooling to prevent the metal from warping. That's what the constant stream of water on the wok burner is for. Hell, I can't even accomplish this in a professional western kitchen. Cook each of the ingredients about 80-90% done, set aside. For a scrambled egg cook it 70-80% done. For things like broccoli, Chinese broccoli, fresh bamboo shoots, etc, you can blanch them first (throw into rolling boiling water for 30 seconds then cool in running water or an ice bath) but this is also optional. You can simply stir fry them beforehand. This includes the meat, if you're not velveting (and I recommend you don't)
Method: Hot wok (or pan), cold oil, immediately add aromatics (ginger, garlic, use 3-5 times more garlic than ginger as a rule of thumb), add rice as soon as the garlic starts browning, break up any leftover clumps in the rice with a wok turner, make sure it's loose. Throw in the egg (if using any) at this stage, then stir fry. You will see videos of people scrambling the egg before the rice but that requires a hotter heat source, ymmv. Then things in order of cooking time, longest to shortest, constantly stirring between. But if they're mostly cooked then it's ok if you get it wrong a little. When everything's in, throw in light soy (optional, believe it or not. Yangzhou fried rice traditionally gets umami and salt from shiitake mushrooms and cured meat & seafood) around the edges of the wok. Not applicable for pans, around the sides of the wok allows the soy sauce to slightly caramelize and also to stop it pooling at the bottom and over seasoning one part and not even touching other parts before being absorbed/evaporated, so if using a pan just swirl it around the plan not just pour into a pool in one spot. Salt, white pepper powder (black also works, purists will get mad, powder works better than ground as a texture thing but better than nothing) and MSG. Turn the heat off and add green onion greens, they cook easily and it's meant to be half cooked anyway so let the residual heat cook it. Stirring all time, of course. I personally don't add oyster sauce to fried rice but I wouldn't be surprised if you see a recipe calling for it. If I were I'd mix the soy and oyster sauce together and add when you add soy because oyster sauce is very thick.
Additional notes: this has techniques from your casual egg fried rice that's easy and can be done as a not quite healthy but quick meal that uses leftover rice (which will just be egg, rice, aromatics, seasoning and green onions) and techniques for a more "fancy" fried rice (more proteins) that's meant to be more of a main course.
If you read something about Wok Hei because you watched Uncle Roger's minstrel show or your Chinese friends mentioned it: yes. It exists, it's a staple of Cantonese cuisine. It's not mandatory, in fact it's entirely absent or optional for other regions of China, but Chinese diaspora overseas are often from Cantonese/Hokkien backgrounds so they put more emphasis on it. It is 100% not necessary for a home cooked meal nor is it even expected.
Rice: longer grains end up looser but long grain rice is not necessarily mandatory. Wash thoroughly to remove as much starch as possible. If it's ready to eat (like the microwave rice) then lay/spread it out thinly on a plate or baking tray and allow to cool in a fridge. Break up clumps if you see any (this can also be done in the wok). Purists will say not to use microwave rice but it can be done in a pinch, I've done it.
The more proper way is to cook rice regularly (absorption method or rice cooker), lay it out as above overnight. Home made fried rice is made with leftover rice.
The most proper way is to steam the rice in a bamboo steamer and also slightly undercook it. This takes a bit of trial and error and is sparcely done even in China, but if you wondered how the rice for a fried rice is prepared before the invention of fridges, this is it. Steam it and allow it to cool to room temperature. Steamed long grain rice is looser to begin with but the downside is requiring a steamer.
The reason for all of this (and washing) is to make looser grains of rice. Longer grains tend to stick together less than, say, an arborio or sushi rice. Starch makes rice gum up and stick together, which isn't an issue for a paella or sushi, makes fried rice more difficult, clumps are the enemy of a good stir fry, additionally it's harder for seasoning to get inside clumps. Steam from fresh rice also causes grains to stick together, so spreading out and allowing to cool completely let's the steam escape (from steamed rice) and allows excess moisture to evaporate (in absorption/rice cooker rice).
Meat: it's not worth it to "velvet" meat at home, if a recipe calls for it, don't. It requires dry brining cut raw meat in corn starch/corn flour, adding salt, MSG and cooking alcohol (recipe varies by region), flash frying in a deep fryer for 20 seconds then setting aside. It's almost never worth it to do this at home (unless you're realling trying to impress an epicurean). For mince this is an opportunity to break up the clumps. For raw shrimp, rinse more thoroughly than normal.
Other ingredients: cutting to uniform size (usually larger than a brunoise) helps you get a wide variety of different ingredients in the same bite. Obviously broccoli and such can't be cut down to that size so what you've done is good.
Pre-cooking: electric stoves, home burners and such can't reach temperatures to cook all the ingredients. You can't do a Wang Gang style fried rice at home, even if professional chefs do it that way (he has a professional setup at home, despite calling it "home style"). Crowding the wok means there's less heat to go around. Nor the "pouring broth" method which requires temperatures so high a broth/stock that hits the side of the wok instantly evaporates the liquid and leaving behind the flavours. This is simply impossible at home, unless your home is equipped with a stove with so much heat output it requires constant liquid cooling to prevent the metal from warping. That's what the constant stream of water on the wok burner is for. Hell, I can't even accomplish this in a professional western kitchen. Cook each of the ingredients about 80-90% done, set aside. For a scrambled egg cook it 70-80% done. For things like broccoli, Chinese broccoli, fresh bamboo shoots, etc, you can blanch them first (throw into rolling boiling water for 30 seconds then cool in running water or an ice bath) but this is also optional. You can simply stir fry them beforehand. This includes the meat, if you're not velveting (and I recommend you don't)
Method: Hot wok (or pan), cold oil, immediately add aromatics (ginger, garlic, use 3-5 times more garlic than ginger as a rule of thumb), add rice as soon as the garlic starts browning, break up any leftover clumps in the rice with a wok turner, make sure it's loose. Throw in the egg (if using any) at this stage, then stir fry. You will see videos of people scrambling the egg before the rice but that requires a hotter heat source, ymmv. Then things in order of cooking time, longest to shortest, constantly stirring between. But if they're mostly cooked then it's ok if you get it wrong a little. When everything's in, throw in light soy (optional, believe it or not. Yangzhou fried rice traditionally gets umami and salt from shiitake mushrooms and cured meat & seafood) around the edges of the wok. Not applicable for pans, around the sides of the wok allows the soy sauce to slightly caramelize and also to stop it pooling at the bottom and over seasoning one part and not even touching other parts before being absorbed/evaporated, so if using a pan just swirl it around the plan not just pour into a pool in one spot. Salt, white pepper powder (black also works, purists will get mad, powder works better than ground as a texture thing but better than nothing) and MSG. Turn the heat off and add green onion greens, they cook easily and it's meant to be half cooked anyway so let the residual heat cook it. Stirring all time, of course. I personally don't add oyster sauce to fried rice but I wouldn't be surprised if you see a recipe calling for it. If I were I'd mix the soy and oyster sauce together and add when you add soy because oyster sauce is very thick.
Additional notes: this has techniques from your casual egg fried rice that's easy and can be done as a not quite healthy but quick meal that uses leftover rice (which will just be egg, rice, aromatics, seasoning and green onions) and techniques for a more "fancy" fried rice (more proteins) that's meant to be more of a main course.
If you read something about Wok Hei because you watched Uncle Roger's minstrel show or your Chinese friends mentioned it: yes. It exists, it's a staple of Cantonese cuisine. It's not mandatory, in fact it's entirely absent or optional for other regions of China, but Chinese diaspora overseas are often from Cantonese/Hokkien backgrounds so they put more emphasis on it. It is 100% not necessary for a home cooked meal nor is it even expected.
I never fucked with the guy but thank you for summing up why in two words
Another certified CloutAtlas banger.
reading this is making me so hungry, I'm in a Chinese food desert here and I have to drive almost an hour to get a really good fried rice
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy: