Shrimp and Crab Fried Rice

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •14-inch flat-bottomed carbon steel wok or 12-inch cast iron skillet
• •Wok spatula or sturdy metal spatula
• •Small prep bowls for mise en place

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare your mise en place

   Fried rice waits for no one. Once that wok is hot, you need everything within arm's reach. Break up any clumps in your cold rice with your fingers, separating the grains gently. Arrange the beaten eggs, aromatics, shellfish, peas, and sauces in small bowls near the stove. Mix the soy sauce and fish sauce together in one vessel. This preparation takes five minutes and prevents disaster.

   If you forgot to cook rice yesterday, spread freshly cooked rice on a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for at least two hours. The surface moisture must evaporate.
2. 2

   Heat the wok properly

   Set your wok over the highest heat your stove produces. Let it heat for two full minutes. You're looking for the metal to change color slightly, a faint blue shimmer appearing on the surface. Add two tablespoons of peanut oil and swirl it up the sides. The oil should shimmer instantly and begin to smoke within ten seconds. If it doesn't, your wok isn't hot enough. Wait.

   A carbon steel wok over a powerful gas burner is ideal, but a large cast iron skillet over maximum heat works respectably. What matters is achieving temperatures around 500°F at the cooking surface.
3. 3

   Cook the egg ribbons

   Pour the beaten eggs into the screaming-hot wok. They will puff dramatically and set almost instantly. Let them cook undisturbed for fifteen seconds until the bottom sets golden but the top remains slightly wet. Use your spatula to break the egg into large ribbons and pieces, then immediately transfer to a clean plate. Don't worry about perfection. Rustic pieces are traditional.

   The eggs cook in under thirty seconds total. Leaving them in the wok while you add other ingredients results in rubber. Remove them quickly.
4. 4

   Build the aromatic base

   Add another tablespoon of peanut oil to the wok. Add the white parts of the green onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir constantly for twenty seconds until fragrant. The smell should hit you immediately: sharp, sweet, slightly pungent. This is the foundation of your dish. If the garlic begins to brown, you've gone too far. The heat is high enough that aromatics can burn in moments.

5. 5

   Fry the rice

   Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil, then immediately add all the cold rice. Press it against the hot surface of the wok, let it sizzle for fifteen seconds, then toss vigorously. Press, sizzle, toss. Repeat this rhythm for two minutes. You're listening for the sound to change from a wet sizzle to a drier, crackling fry. Individual grains should begin to toast slightly, developing tiny crisp edges. The rice should move freely, never clumping.

   Work in batches if your wok is small. Overcrowding drops the temperature and steams the rice instead of frying it. Better two batches done right than one batch done wrong.
6. 6

   Add the sauce and peas

   Pour the soy sauce and fish sauce mixture around the edges of the wok so it sizzles against the hot metal before hitting the rice. This caramelizes the sugars slightly. Add the white pepper and the thawed peas. Toss everything together for thirty seconds until the peas are heated through and every grain of rice glistens with sauce. The color should deepen to a warm golden brown.

7. 7

   Add the shellfish gently

   Add the bay shrimp and fold them through the rice with two or three tosses. Then add the Dungeness crab, treating it with more care. Crab breaks apart easily, and you want visible chunks throughout the dish. Use your spatula to fold rather than stir, incorporating the crab in four or five gentle motions. Cook just until the shellfish is heated through, about forty-five seconds. Both the shrimp and crab are already cooked. You're only warming them.

8. 8

   Finish with eggs and aromatics

   Return the egg ribbons to the wok along with the green parts of the scallions. Drizzle the sesame oil around the edges. Toss everything together three or four times to distribute. Taste and adjust with salt if needed. The fish sauce provides significant salinity, so taste before adding more. The finished rice should be fragrant, slightly smoky from the wok, with distinct grains that aren't greasy.

9. 9

   Serve immediately

   Transfer to a warm serving platter or individual bowls. Scatter fresh cilantro over the top if you like it. Fried rice waits for no one. It's best consumed within five minutes of leaving the wok, while the grains still have their slight crispness and the shellfish remains tender. This is not a dish to keep warm in the oven. Call everyone to the table before you finish cooking.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out sustainable Dungeness crab and bay shrimp from fishmongers who can tell you where and when they were caught. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program rates Pacific Northwest Dungeness as a 'Best Choice' when trap-caught. Ask questions. Responsible fishing keeps these waters productive for generations.
• •Bay shrimp, sometimes called cocktail shrimp or salad shrimp, are tiny cold-water shrimp perfect for fried rice. They're typically sold pre-cooked. Oregon and Washington bay shrimp have a sweet, delicate flavor distinct from their warm-water cousins. If unavailable, small Gulf shrimp work respectably.
• •Day-old rice is not a suggestion. It's a requirement. The starch on fresh rice's surface turns gummy when exposed to high heat. Refrigeration crystallizes these starches, allowing the grains to fry instead of steam. Plan ahead.
• •Fish sauce frightens people who haven't used it. Don't let it. That fermented funk transforms into deep umami when heated, providing the savory backbone that soy sauce alone cannot achieve. A tablespoon disappears into the dish, leaving only complexity.
• •Serve with chili crisp or sambal on the side for those who want heat. A squeeze of lime brightens everything. Cold beer pairs better than wine here.

Advance Preparation

• •Rice must be cooked at least one day ahead and refrigerated uncovered or loosely covered. Two-day-old rice works even better.
• •Shellfish can be picked over and portioned up to one day ahead. Store covered in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
• •Aromatics (garlic, ginger, green onion whites) can be prepped and refrigerated up to four hours ahead. Keep green onion tops separate until finishing.
• •Eggs can be beaten and refrigerated up to two hours ahead. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 375g)