Recipe taught to me by Zak Yasin
Ingredients
2 cups cold, cooked basmati rice. Coconut rice is particularly delicious to use in a stir-fry.
½ pound shrimp, brought to room temperature, cleaned and deveined. If possible, use head-on shrimp. The red fat in the heads adds extra flavor.
2-3 whole dried red chili (the best quality dry chili are still pliable)
2-4 Tbl neutral oil
½ cup packed Thai basil leaves
1 Tbl ginger paste (a microplane grater is the easiest tool for this)
1-2 tsp garlic paste (a microplane grater is the easiest tool for this)
Scant ½ cup cashews (raw peanuts are an alternative)
4 minced scallions (white and green part)
2 tsp oyster sauce, or more to taste
2 tsp fish sauce, or more to taste (Red Boat Fish Sauce is the recommended brand)
3 large eggs
Salt
Peanut or neutral oil
Optional ingredients that can be included:
- Best-quality dried shrimp
- Shredded cooked chicken
- Shredded cooked pork
- Julienned carrots
- Sautéed oyster or cremini mushrooms
- Shaved brussel sprouts
- 1-2 minced fresh birds eye chili
Instructions
NOTE: It’s important to have all your ingredients prepped and within easy reach. Once the cooking begins, it goes very quickly.
Peel and devein the shrimp then butterfly them open and season lightly with salt. Before cooking, chop them into small pieces so they can be easily distributed through the rice.
Heat a heavy flat-bottomed wok or large sauté pan, and when it is hot, add the neutral oil.
Add the dry chili and stir-fry until they start to take on color, add the cashews and when they are light golden brown, remove the chili and nuts from the pan with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
If necessary, add a little additional oil to the pan. Add the seasoned shrimp and lightly stir-fry. Set aside.
Add additional oil to the hot pan. Beat the eggs just until the whites and yolks are combined. Scramble them in the hot wok or sauté pan, setting them aside as soon as they start to set.
Clean your wok and add another tablespoon of oil. When medium hot, add the ginger and garlic, before the garlic browns, add in the cold rice. Gently fold in the oyster sauce, fish sauce, the crushed lime leaves, scallions and fresh hot chilies, if you are using them. Taste the rice to check for the balance of seasonings, adding more fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar or chili as desired.
Fold in the cooked items (shrimp, scrambled eggs, chili and cashews). Just before serving, add the Thai basil and scallions.
