Original video by @BrianLagerstrom — all credit to the creator.
Real Chinese Takeout at Home: Fried Rice, Beef & Broccoli, and Chow Mein
Three takeout classics made in one wok session: fluffy egg-and-scallion fried rice, glossy velveted beef and broccoli, and dry-fried chow mein with chicken and crisp vegetables. Everything comes together fast over high heat with sauces poured around the hot edge of the wok.
Ingredients
Fried Rice (Egg & Scallion)
- 300 gjasmine rice · 1½ cups; rinsed well
- 270 gwater · 1⅛ cups
- 4large eggs
- —salt
- 75–100 gscallions, sliced · 1½–2 cups; whites and greens separated
- —high smoke point oil
- 50 gsoy sauce · 3½ tablespoons
- 25 goyster sauce · 1½ tablespoons
Beef & Broccoli
- 450 gflank steak · 1 lb; sliced ¼ inch thick
- 350 gbroccoli florets · 3½ cups; cut to 1–1½ inches
- 100 gonion · ¾ cup; thinly sliced
- —high smoke point oil
Beef & Broccoli — Velveting Marinade
- 10 gsoy sauce · 2 teaspoons
- 5 gsesame oil · 1 teaspoon
- 5 gshaoxing wine or mirin · 1 teaspoon
- 2 gsugar · ½ teaspoon
- 2 gcornstarch · ½ teaspoon
- 2 gbaking soda · ½ teaspoon
Beef & Broccoli — Stir-Fry Sauce
- 30 gsoy sauce · 2 tablespoons
- 30 gbeef stock or water · 2 tablespoons
- 30 gshaoxing wine or mirin · 2 tablespoons
- 50 goyster sauce · 3½ tablespoons
- 10 gsugar · 2½ teaspoons; use about 5 g if using mirin
- 5–7 gcornstarch · 1½–2 teaspoons
Beef & Broccoli — Aromatics
- 10 ggarlic, minced · 2 teaspoons
- 10 gfresh ginger, grated · 1 tablespoon
Chow Mein (Dry-Fried Noodles)
- 300 gHong Kong pan-fried noodles · 10 oz; cut into 5–7 inch lengths
- 150 gchicken thigh · 5 oz; thinly sliced
- 75 gscallions · 1 cup; greens only, cut into 1½ inch pieces
- 75 gcarrots, julienned · ¾ cup
- 75 gbean sprouts · 1 cup
- —high smoke point oil
- —salt
Chow Mein — Sauce
- 30 gsoy sauce · 2 tablespoons
- 30 goyster sauce · 2 tablespoons
- 5 gsesame oil · 1 teaspoon
- 100 gchicken stock · ½ cup
Steps
- 1
Fried Rice: Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then cook it with 270 g water (90% hydration).
- 2
Turn the cooked rice out onto a tray, gently spread it out, and chill 20–30 minutes until cold.
- 3
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
- 4
Heat a wok (or large nonstick pan) over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat.
- 5
Pour in the eggs, spreading them thin up the sides of the wok. Scramble gently to about 85% doneness, then remove and reserve.
- 6
Wipe out the wok and return it to the heat. Add at least 2 tablespoons oil, then the cold rice. Toss constantly, breaking up clumps, for 60–90 seconds.
- 7
Add the scallion whites and fry about 60 seconds until softened, with no browning.
- 8
Return the eggs to the wok and break them into bite-size pieces.
- 9
Pour the soy sauce and oyster sauce around the hot edge of the wok. Toss to combine until absorbed and sizzling.
- 10
Finish with the scallion greens and serve.
- 11
Beef & Broccoli: Toss the beef with all the marinade ingredients and rest 15 minutes.
- 12
Heat a wok over high heat. Add oil, then the broccoli and onion with a pinch of salt. Stir-fry 3–4 minutes until just tender, then remove.
- 13
Wipe out the wok. Add more oil and sear half the beef in a single layer for 60–90 seconds to medium. Remove, repeat with the remaining beef, then return the first batch of beef to the wok.
- 14
Add the garlic and ginger and stir about 20 seconds until fragrant.
- 15
Return the vegetables to the wok.
- 16
Pour the stir-fry sauce around the hot edge. Toss until thickened and glossy, then serve with rice.
- 17
Chow Mein: Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add oil, then the chicken, and season lightly with salt. Sear undisturbed about 60 seconds, then cook through another 60–90 seconds and remove.
- 18
Add more oil, then the noodles with extra oil on top. Toss and detangle, frying until lightly stiff and fragrant.
- 19
Add the carrots and scallions. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until just softened, adding more oil if the wok is dry.
- 20
Add the bean sprouts and toss briefly, then return the chicken.
- 21
Pour the sauce around the hot edge. Toss and fold over high heat until the sauce steams and lightly softens the noodles without making them mushy.
Creator's notes
Cook the rice at 90% hydration (270 g water to 300 g rice) and chill it before frying. Video chapters: 0:00 Fried Rice, 5:48 Beef & Broccoli, 11:15 Chow Mein. For the beef stir-fry sauce, cut the sugar to about 5 g if you use mirin instead of shaoxing wine.
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