Uncle Chen's Special Fried Rice
Wok-fried rice with prawns, chicken, and vegetables. A Chinese-Australian family recipe perfected over three generations in Sydney.
The Story Behind This Recipe
My uncle's restaurant recipe from Haymarket, Sydney - Michael Chen
In Haymarket, Sydney's Chinatown, my Uncle Chen ran a small restaurant from 1972 to 2008. The menu had seventy-three dishes, but everyone - locals, tourists, regulars, first-timers - ordered the same thing at least once: Uncle Chen's Special Fried Rice. It wasn't the most elaborate dish, it wasn't the most expensive, but it was perfect. Golden grains of rice, each one separate and slightly crispy, loaded with prawns, chicken, char siu (BBQ pork), eggs, and vegetables, seasoned with the perfect balance of soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.
Uncle Chen learned to make fried rice from his father in Guangzhou in the 1950s. "Fried rice is poor people's food," he'd explain. "You make it from yesterday's rice that's gone hard. You add whatever you have - leftover meat, vegetables, eggs if you're lucky. But poor food doesn't mean bad food. If you respect the ingredients and the technique, fried rice can be magnificent." When he came to Sydney in 1968, he brought that philosophy with him.
The secret to great fried rice, Uncle Chen would teach anyone interested, is cold rice. Fresh, hot rice is too moist and sticky - it clumps together in the wok and turns mushy. Day-old rice from the fridge has dried out slightly, so each grain can be separated and crisped in the hot wok. "Americans," he'd laugh, "they try to make fried rice with fresh hot rice and wonder why it's porridge. Rice must be old and cold. This is not negotiable."
The wok must be smoking hot - hot enough that the rice starts to crisp immediately when it hits the metal. Uncle Chen's wok was seasoned from thirty years of use, blackened and non-stick from thousands of meals. He'd heat it until it smoked, add oil, then move at lightning speed: egg first, scrambled and set aside; then aromatics (garlic, ginger); then the proteins (prawns, chicken, char siu); then vegetables; then the cold rice, breaking it up with the wok spatula; then the egg back in, along with seasonings. The whole process took maybe five minutes. "If you're slow, the rice steams instead of fries," he'd say. "Fast hands, hot wok, cold rice."
What made Uncle Chen's version "special" was the combination of three proteins - prawns for sweetness, chicken for substance, char siu for that distinctive sweet-savory BBQ flavor - plus frozen peas, corn, carrot, spring onions, and egg. Each element was cooked perfectly: prawns still juicy, chicken tender, vegetables crisp. He'd season it at the end with light soy sauce, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a generous dose of white pepper. "MSG?" he'd shrug. "If you want, add a little. I use good ingredients cooked well - don't need too much MSG."
When Uncle Chen retired in 2008, regular customers lined up to shake his hand and say goodbye. Many had been coming for thirty years, some their whole lives. "Your fried rice is the best in Sydney," they'd say. Uncle Chen would smile: "Not the best. But honest. Made with respect. That's enough." This recipe represents three generations of Chinese-Australian cooking - maintaining authenticity while embracing local ingredients, serving the community, and proving that simple food done right will always have a place at the table.
"Every recipe tells a story, and every story brings us closer to the heart of home."
Adjust Servings
Scaled Ingredients:
💡 Tip: Cooking times may need adjustment when scaling. Larger batches may take longer, smaller batches may cook faster.
Ingredients
For the Rice
For the Proteins
Pro Tips
- • COLD, day-old rice is absolutely essential - this is the #1 rule of fried rice.
- • Have everything prepped before you start - once the wok is hot, you won't have time to stop.
- • Keep the wok blazingly hot throughout - fried rice needs high heat.
- • Don't overcrowd the wok - if your wok is small, cook in two batches.
- • Press the rice against the wok to crisp it - this creates texture.
- • Work quickly - the whole cooking process should take 8-10 minutes maximum.
- • Taste and adjust seasoning at the end - every batch is slightly different.
Storage
Fried rice is best fresh. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 2 days - reheat in a hot wok or frying pan with a splash of oil, not in the microwave (which makes it soggy).
Instructions
- 1
CRITICAL: The rice must be cold and ideally day-old. If you're making rice specifically for fried rice, cook it in the morning or the night before, spread it on a tray to cool, then refrigerate uncovered for several hours. Break up any large clumps with your hands before starting.
- 2
Prep everything before you start cooking - fried rice happens fast and you won't have time to chop once the wok is hot. Have all proteins diced, vegetables ready, aromatics minced, eggs beaten, seasonings measured and nearby. This is mise en place - Uncle Chen's rule.
15 minutes - 3
Heat your wok (or largest frying pan) over highest heat until smoking hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Add the beaten eggs and let them set for 10 seconds, then scramble quickly until just cooked but still soft. Remove to a plate. Don't overcook - they'll cook more later.
1 minute - 4
Add another tablespoon of oil to the hot wok. Add the diced chicken and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through and starting to brown. Remove to the plate with eggs.
3 minutes - 5
Add another tablespoon of oil. Add the prawns and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until just pink and cooked. Don't overcook or they'll be rubbery. Add to the plate with chicken and eggs.
2 minutes - 6
Add the final tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the minced garlic and ginger, stir-fry for 15 seconds until fragrant but not burning. Move fast - they burn quickly.
1 minute - 7
Add the white parts of spring onions, diced carrot, peas, and corn. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until vegetables are heated through and carrot is starting to soften. Keep everything moving in the wok.
2 minutes - 8
This is the crucial moment: Add the cold rice. Break up any clumps with your spatula. Stir-fry vigorously for 3-4 minutes, tossing and pressing the rice against the hot wok to crisp it slightly. Uncle Chen would press it flat, let it crisp for 30 seconds, then toss and repeat. Each grain should separate and start to turn slightly golden.
4 minutes - 9
Add the char siu (or ham) and toss through. Return the cooked chicken, prawns, and scrambled egg to the wok. Break up the egg into smaller pieces as you toss everything together. Keep the wok very hot and keep everything moving.
1 minute - 10
Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and MSG if using. Toss vigorously to distribute evenly. The rice should take on a light golden color from the soy sauce. Add the white pepper and salt, tasting and adjusting as needed. Uncle Chen would taste at this point - 'trust your tongue, not the recipe.'
- 11
Add the green parts of the spring onions and drizzle with sesame oil. Toss one final time for 30 seconds. The sesame oil is added at the end - if added too early, it burns and becomes bitter.
1 minute - 12
Serve immediately while piping hot. Uncle Chen would plate it in a mound on a white plate, garnished with extra spring onions. Fried rice waits for no one - it's best straight from the wok while the rice is still crispy and the aromatics are fresh.
Ingredient Substitutions
Nutrition Information
Per serving (approximate)
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