台灣油飯

When I told Jennifer about our new recipe blogger.  Her first reaction was "your fist posting is Apple Pie???  Where is your Chinese food recipe? " 

Since I have the picture in my photo album and I wrote the recipe for the kids several year's back, I decide to post it as my first entry.  (The apple pie was Li-Chin's and Nuts and Fruit Cake was from Chen Chen).

This is a perfect dish for parties.  My kids and my young friends love it.  Don't be scared by the steps, it is super easy.  You just need a stool so that you can sit and rest while tending the rice.

Ingredients:

sweet rice 4 cups (圓糯米), this is the cup we use for the rice cooker, smaller than the regular measuing cup
lean pork 0.5 lb (you can replaced it by BBQ port, 叉燒肉, or no meat for vegetarians)
black mushrooms  10 pieces (乾香菰）
dry shrimps (small ones)  2 TB （蝦米，I like the small ones, it too big, chop them)
fried green shallot sliced 2 oz  (油蔥酥）（you can by it at the Chinese market, a small package)

Preparation:

1. Submerge rice in water overnight (or at least 4 hours)
2. Soften black mushroom in warm water (2 hours)
3. Soften dry shrimps in water (1 hour)
4. Cut pork in thin strips and marinate it using corn starch (1TB), soy sauce (1 TB), salt (0.5 tb) and a little vegitable oil (20 minutes)
5. Take out the stem of the softened mushrooms, and cut them into thin strips, keep the water (I was told not to use the mushroom water because of the pesticide, so you decide to use it or not)

Steps:

1. Heat up 3TB vegetable oil in a non-sticky 12-inch wok and  stir fry port strips.  Flip it to separate the strips apart.  Take it out when it changes color. (or cooked)
2. Heat up 4TB vegetable oil and put in mushroom strips and dry shrimps (drain out the water), add 1tb salt, 2TB soy sauce for 3 minutes, add the rice (drain the water and put the water together with the mushroom water). 
3. Use medium heat, stir fry the rice and add the water saved earlier whenever the rice is dry for about 20-25 minutes, or until they are cooked.  (You can get yourself a stool, so you don't get tired by standing so long)

You can add 0.5 cup to 1 cup water at a time, stir fry it frequently so that it does not burn or stick at the bottom of the wok. If the water dries up too quickly, turn down the heat.  You can cover the wok and let it cook for a couple of minutes, then stir it again.  The total process takes about 20 to 25 minutes.  After 5 minutes into the process, add soy sauce  (2 TB), black pepper and a little salt.  The rice's color is kind of solid when it is raw, it turns more transparent color when it is cooked.  You don't need to wait until all the rice turn transparent.  If you see about 70% change color, it is about done.  The best way to check is to taste it.  You don't want to add too much water either because it will be too sticky.  You want it taste "Q", it is a subtle feeling you can only learn by experience :-)  The total water you need to add is probably about 4 cup.  When the rice is almost done, add the pork and mix it with the rice. After that, add the fried shallots and mix it.

When you serve, you can put some 甜辣醬 on the side, or some cilantro leaves on top to add some color.