Hokkien Fried Rice with Lap Cheong
A smoky, savory wok fried rice built on sweet-salty Chinese sausage, soft egg ribbons, and oyster sauce. Rendered lap cheong fat flavors the whole pan, and fresh scallions finish it bright. Ready in under 30 minutes once the rice is cold.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 27 min
- Makes
- About 8 cups (4 generous servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Use cold, day-old cooked rice (cook it at least 8 hours ahead, or spread freshly cooked rice on a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour). Warm, wet rice turns mushy.
- Have every ingredient sliced, measured, and within arm's reach before turning on the heat. The stir-fry moves fast.
- Lap cheong is sold vacuum-packed or in the refrigerated or dry-goods aisle of Asian markets. It is cured, but cook it until it is rendered, caramelized, and hot through (160°F / 71°C).
- Use a wok or your largest heavy skillet, and don't double the batch in one pan.
Loosen the rice
- Tip the cold rice into a large bowl.
- Using your fingers, gently break up every clump until the grains are separate and loose, with no packed chunks.
- Set aside near the stove.
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Ready when: No clumps remain and the grains fall apart freely when you lift a handful.
Tip: Do this now, not in the hot wok. Clumps of rice cook unevenly and get gummy.
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper until smooth.
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Ready when: The sauce is a uniform dark brown with no streaks of oyster sauce.
Prep the aromatics and eggs
- Slice the lap cheong on a sharp diagonal, dice the carrot, mince the garlic, and slice the scallions, keeping whites and greens separate.
- Thaw and drain the peas.
- Beat the eggs with the salt in a medium bowl.
- Arrange everything next to the stove.
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Ready when: All ingredients are cut and within reach of the stove.
Tip: Pat the thawed peas dry so they don't add water to the wok.
Render the lap cheong
- Heat the wok over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil and the sliced lap cheong.
- Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
- The slices will curl slightly, the fat will turn translucent and orange-red, and the edges will begin to caramelize.
- Check a few thick slices with an instant-read thermometer; they should read at least 160°F (71°C).
- Transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the wok.
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Ready when: The sausage edges are browned and sticky, the fat in the wok is glossy and red-orange, and the slices read at least 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Lap cheong is high in sugar and burns fast. If it darkens quickly, lower the heat.
Scramble the eggs
- Turn the heat to high and add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of oil to the wok.
- When the oil shimmers, pour in the beaten eggs.
- Let them puff and set for 10 seconds, then push and fold with the spatula for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Break into bite-size pieces and move to the plate with the sausage while still slightly soft.
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Ready when: Eggs are set into soft, golden curds with no visible raw liquid.
Tip: Pull the eggs off while they're slightly underdone. They finish cooking to 160°F (71°C) when returned to the hot rice.
Cook the vegetables
- Keep the heat on high and add the last 1 tbsp (15 ml) of oil.
- Add the diced carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add the garlic and scallion whites and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
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Ready when: The garlic smells fragrant and is pale gold, not brown; the carrots are bright and just starting to soften.
Tip: If the garlic starts to brown before 30 seconds, move to the next step immediately. Burnt garlic turns bitter.
Fry the rice
- Add all the rice to the wok.
- Spread it up the sides and press it against the hot surface with the spatula, then toss and flip.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 minutes so the rice heats evenly and dries out.
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Ready when: The rice is steaming hot all the way through (165°F / 74°C), grains are separate and bouncy, and some bits are lightly toasted.
Tip: Let the rice sit still for 15 seconds between tosses so it can pick up some toasty flavor.
Add sauce and mix-ins
- Pour the sauce around the hot edge of the wok, not onto the rice, so it sizzles.
- Toss for 1 minute until the rice is evenly colored.
- Return the lap cheong and eggs, add the peas, and toss for 1 more minute to heat through.
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Ready when: No pale streaks of rice remain, and the peas are bright green and hot.
Tip: Don't be tempted to add more sauce. Lap cheong is already salty, so taste first.
Finish and serve
- Turn off the heat.
- Add the scallion greens and drizzle with the sesame oil.
- Toss for 10 seconds, taste, and add a pinch more salt if needed.
- Serve immediately from the wok or a warmed platter.
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Ready when: The rice smells nutty and fragrant, and the scallion greens are still bright.
Tip: Add sesame oil off the heat. It turns bitter when overheated.
Good to know
Tips
- Cold, dry rice is the key to fried rice with separate grains. Fresh rice will steam and clump.
- Cook in a very hot, well-heated wok, and don't crowd it. If your pan is smaller than 12 inches (30 cm), fry in two batches.
- Pour the sauce around the edge of the wok so it caramelizes quickly and distributes without making the rice soggy.
- Taste before adding salt. Lap cheong and oyster sauce are already salty.
Make ahead
Cook the rice up to 2 days ahead, cool it quickly, and refrigerate it in a shallow, covered container. Slice the lap cheong and vegetables up to 1 day ahead. Mix the sauce up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Fry just before serving for the best texture.
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 1 hour. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in a hot skillet or wok with 1 tbsp (15 ml) of water or oil for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C). A microwave also works: cover and heat in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between. Don't leave it at room temperature more than 1 hour.
Substitutions
- Shaoxing wine → Dry sherry. Use the same amount. Mirin also works, but the dish will taste slightly sweeter.
- lap cheong (Chinese sausage) → Diced smoked bacon or ham. Use 6 oz (170 g). Cook the bacon until crisp and add 1 tsp sugar with the sauce to mimic lap cheong's sweetness.
- dark soy sauce → Light soy sauce plus ½ tsp molasses. Gives similar color. Skip it if you prefer a lighter-colored rice.
- cooked jasmine rice → Cooked long-grain white rice. Any long-grain rice works if cold and dry. Avoid short-grain, which turns sticky.