King Prawn Fried Rice
How to cook my dinner in two minutes!
By the time I get home I have little energy for cooking, my life is dominated by food and sometimes one’s own pleasure for eating can be diminished by a fourteen hour day or a seven day working week. Sometimes I just want fast food…
So here’s my version of fast food, I live alone so I do not keep an excess of food, time was not on my side so I bought a pack of brown basmati rice, a small selection pack of vegetables for stir-frying and some raw tiger prawns which are farmed from sustainable sources (I do check because the tiger prawn is suffering much the same as cod and haddock) and a fresh bottle of light Japanese soy sauce.
The rice was left to cook as I unpacked, twelve minutes later the pan was on and in went the tiger prawns, sizzle, sizzle, thirty seconds later in with the veg, stir, stir. Season, add homemade chilli sauce, fold in rice, add chopped coriander (cilantro) a good whack of soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon and Bernard’s your Uncle…..
The secret here is not to overcook anything, especially the prawns. As soon as they have taken on a pinky red blush they’re done, overcooked and they go ‘wubbery’ as a Chinese Jonathan Ross would say (English joke-sorry world) Don’t overdo the veg either, it has to retain it’s texture or the concept of the dish is lost. You can stick some chopped up omlette in with the rice if you want but I don’t bother.
Who needs a Big Mac?
Miles
a perfect example to those who say
‘I haven’t got time to cook’
It would take me longer to get a takeaway than it would to do that !
Great practical cooking !
Rod
February 25, 2009 @ 9:02 am
Rod,
Thanks! It’s not difficlt once you’ve tried it the first time, stir-frying is incredibly quick and easy once you ge the hang of it.
Miles
February 25, 2009 @ 9:25 am
Miles,
2 minutes in the pan, 60 seconds on the plate. Looks delicious! I work 12 hour days (I know, such a part-timer) and fried rice is a fantastic supper dish.
What’s the deal with deveining prawns? Why do we do it sometimes and not others, for example when we cook prawns in their shells?
GDave
February 25, 2009 @ 9:52 am
Miles,
No one needs a Big Mac! EVER. Don’t even utter those words. Ugh…
:-)
I do versions of this all the time, but never think to add prawns. Wonder why? Good suggestion. I take whatever I have on hand (in fact, I have a post half-written about that) and stir fry it in a tiny touch of broth, make some rice and I’ve got a “rice bowl” that’s healthy and easy. You’re so right, Rod, people don’t realize that eating take-away fast-food takes longer than making something at home. When I work with clients (as a nutritionist), that is one of the main problems — people are intimidated by food and have no idea what to do with it. They think cooking is too hard and too time consuming. This meal of yours shows otherwise.
Nice post, as always.
February 25, 2009 @ 12:26 pm
Melissa,
A nice noodle broth is my favourite Asian fast food-full of goodness too.
Burgers are the anti Christ for me.
Miles
February 25, 2009 @ 9:24 pm
Greedydave,
Tiger prawns have a thin, dark line running through their centre which is their digestive tract.
It’s worth removing because it can harbour sand and grit etc depending n what and how you buy them. Aesthetically it is more pleasing on the eye too, as for the smaller prawn of which you refer I don’t bother. Frankly time can be better spent on other things!
Miles
February 25, 2009 @ 9:35 pm
Miles,
I’ve just got back from China Town in London….. lots of noodles and carbs but delicious. Came home with lots of ideas, too many to write about here but there might be a photo coming your way.
Spent the last couple of days eating fabulous dishes…. home again and back on the healthy eating plan
Cid
February 25, 2009 @ 10:01 pm
Cid,
Welcome back! I love Chinatown, it’s a fascinating place, look forward to hearing more about it.
Miles
February 26, 2009 @ 7:19 am
I’ll never forget my first experience with prawns… it was at a wedding reception, I was 10 years old, and firmly under the impression that one was supposed to consume the entire prawn… crunchy, to say the least.
March 1, 2009 @ 7:50 am
Xenny,
Pass the toothpick!!!!
A great story, made me smile.
Miles
March 1, 2009 @ 9:01 am
Um i’m in the mood for prawns now. The curried ones we had at Xennys birthday party were ok but not wow by any means.
March 1, 2009 @ 7:09 pm
Kevin,
Go fry some!!!!
Miles
March 1, 2009 @ 7:23 pm