Classic Thai Fried Rice

This recipe serves:  1 4 6 8

2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
4 to 8 cloves garlic,minced (even more if not using optional ingredients)
1 cup sliced oyster mushrooms or other mushrooms (optional)
2 cups cooked rice (preferably Thai jasmine or American jasmine rice)
2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce or to taste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
about 1/4 cup packed fresh coriander leaves
about 6 thin cucumber slices
1 scallion,trimmed
1/2 tomato,sliced (optional)
2 to 3 lime wedges
1/4 cup Fish Sauce with Hot Chilies
leaf lettuce
2 ounces bird or serrano chilies (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup Thai fish sauce
1. Heat a medium to large wok over high heat. When is is hot, add the oil and heat until very hot. Add the garlic and fry until just golden, about 20 seconds. Add the mushrooms, if using, and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the rice, breaking it up with your fingers as you toss it into the wok. With your spatula, keep moving the rice around the wok. At first it may stick, but scoop and toss the rice and soon it will be more manageable. Try to visualize "frying" each little bit of rice, sometimes pressing the rice against the wok with the back of your spatula. Good fried rice should have a faint seared-in-the-wok taste. Cook for approximately 1 1/2 minutes. Add the optional scallions and tomato, the fish sauce and soy sauce. Stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

2. For the Fish Sauce with Hot Chilies: Cut the stems of the chilies. Either by hand or in a food processor, mince the chilies into very small pieces (if using a food processor, be careful not to puree the chilies). Put the chilies (and all the seeds) in a glass jar or other glass container and pour in the fish sauce.

3. Turn out the rice onto a dinner plate. Garnish with fresh coriander. Around the rice, lay a row of overlapping cucumber slices, a scallion, the optional tomato slices and one to two lettuce leaves, and wedges of lime. The lime should be squeezed on the rice as you eat it. Serve with the Fish Sauce with Hot Chilies - the salty hot taste of the sauce brings out the full flavor of the rice.

Note: Once you've tossed the garlic in the hot oil, you can add about 1/2 teaspoon (or more) of Red Curry Paste (see recipe), or store-bought. It adds another layer of flavor and a little heat too.

Alternative: Many people (we're among them) like to eat a fried egg (with a soft yolk) on top of their fried rice. Wipe out your wok, heat about 2 teaspoons oil and quickly fry the egg in the wok, then turn it out onto the rice. It's delicious. Try it!

Note: This recipe is for one serving. If you have a large wok, the recipe is easily doubled to serve two; increase your cooking time by about thirty seconds. If you are serving more than two, prepare the additional servings separately.

Serving Size: about 1 cup of rice

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