My go-to for any meal is fried rice. When I get it to-go at my Chinese-inspired restaurant, Duck Duck Goat in Chicago, I eat an entire serving while driving home. This rice is actually more Thai-inspired in flavor. Plump shrimp, shrimpy butter and a fun crunch from spiced cereal – it’s all that you crave with fried rice.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 3 to 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons Thai shrimp paste
- 2 cups rice and wheat flake cereal, such as Special K
- Kosher salt
- Neutral oil, for the pan
- 8 ounces large shrimp, cleaned and tails removed, butterflied
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup cut green beans (1-inch lengths)
- 1/4 red onion, julienned
- 2 green Thai chiles, minced
- One 9.9-ounce tray microwave rice, such as VeeTee, or about 2 cups day-old cooked jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Juice of 1/2 lime, or to taste
- Fresh herbs, such as mint, basil and cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Mix together the butter and shrimp paste in a bowl until smooth to make a compound shrimp butter. Set aside.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and melt 3 tablespoons of the compound shrimp butter. Add the cereal and sauté, tossing to evenly coat it with the butter, until toasted and starting to brown lightly, about 1 minute. Season with a little salt. Transfer the crunchy topping to a plate or tray.
- Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat and add a splash of oil and 1 tablespoon of the compound shrimp butter. Add the shrimp and sauté until almost cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add another splash of oil to the pan, then add the carrots, green beans, red onion and chiles. Add a pinch of salt and cook until the vegetables begin to soften and have some color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add another splash of oil and the rice (make sure it’s broken up). Spread the rice across the pan to get some color, then add 2 tablespoons of the compound shrimp butter and stir-fry until a little browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp back to the pan and sauté to combine, about 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce and lime juice to taste.
- To serve: Top with some of the crunchy topping and fresh herbs (I prefer mint/basil/cilantro… but whatever you have is great!).
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 468 |
| Total Fat | 29 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Cholesterol | 162 mg |
| Sodium | 586 mg |