One thing I’ve cooked over the years with mixed results is Fried Rice. In general it’s a good way to create a meal out of random leftovers, and only seems to be moderately unhealthy yet super delicious. After perusing the internet for the secrets behind making it (and of course you need a proper Wok setup which I don’t have), I finally came across a blog post by a chef which not only provides you with some of the basic secrets behind great fried rice, he also takes the time to explain why each ingredient is listed, as well as why it needs to be prepared a certain way.

As I wrote earlier, fried rice is more of a formula than a single recipe. So rather than list actual ingredients and give you a recipe, I’ll explain a few basic things you need to get right to make sure your fried rice comes out great. (But don’t worry, a recipe too shall follow.)

I tend to cook with the mind of a chemist– I know what ingredients do what for a given dish and can whip up quite a few things without recipes or measuring, and this will be another one to add to the list. Also during the quest for a good fried rice recipe, I also found one that looks to be a good base for Thai Fried Rice as well.