Authentic Yeung Chau Chow Fan: Fried Rice with Barbecue Pork and Prawns Recipe

This fried rice dish is a great way to use up left-over prawns, char siu and vegetables. It’s easy, delicious and full of nutrients! That said, you can add anything that you want; other variants include san chow ngau fan (beef fried rice) and sai chau fan (Hong Kong–style Western fried rice with sausage and sweet–savoury sauce). This makes a small serve, but you can easily increase the quantities if you have more people to feed. 

This recipe is from cookbook A Day in Hong Kong by ArChan Chan. All photography © Alana Dimou.

Ingredients (Serves 2–3)

1 x quantity Fried rice (recipe below)

1 tablespoon canola oil  (or other cooking oil)

100 g (3½ oz) small prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined

100 g (3½ oz) choy sum stem, sliced

100 g (3½ oz) Char siu (recipe below)

Method

1.  Prepare the fried rice to the point where the rice is flat against the wok and the moisture has started to evaporate (before you’ve added the seasoning and spring onion/scallion).
2.  Heat the oil in a second wok over high heat, add the prawns and choy sum and stir-fry for 1 minute.
3.  Add the prawns, choy sum and char siu to the rice and stir-fry for 1 minute. Now finish the fried rice with the seasoning and spring onion. Serve immediately.

FRIED RICE

To many people, fried rice is a creative leftovers dish made with whatever you can find in your fridge, including eggs, spring onions (scallions) and, of course, rice. But in fact foodies use this classic rice dish to judge a chef’s skill because although it looks very simple, cooking it to perfection requires experience.

Ingredients (Serves 2–3)

Method

1.  Heat a large wok over high heat until the wok is very hot. Turn off the heat, add the oil, then quickly add the egg and cook for about 10 seconds. Turn the heat back on, add the rice and stir-fry to evenly distribute the egg, then lightly press it flat against the wok. Cook for 2 minutes until some of the moisture has evaporated, but the mixture is not too dry. Season with salt, then the soy sauce. Add the spring onion and stir-fry for 10 seconds.
2.  Serve immediately.

Optional additions:

CHAR SIU (BARBECUED PORK)

Char siu is another signature siu mei similar to crispy skin pork (page 78). While crispy skin pork showcases the pork belly in contrast with the crackling, char siu is famous for its sweet–savoury flavour with slightly charred skin, which instantly melts in your mouth. Delicious.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Method

1.  Soak the pork in slightly salted water (about 1 teaspoon salt for every 1 litre /1 quart) for 15 minutes. Drain. Toss the pork with 40 g (⅓ cup) of the cornflour, then wrap in plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours.
2.  Rinse off the cornflour and pat dry, then toss the pork in the remaining cornflour to coat well.
3.  To make the marinade, mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the pork and turn to coat well, then cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
4.  Preheat the oven to 240°C (465°F). Line a baking tray with foil.
5.  Spread the pork out on the prepared tray and roast for 5 minutes. Turn the pork over and roast for another 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 100°C (210°F) and roast for 30 minutes. Take the pork out and turn the oven back up to 240°C (465°F).
6.  Brush both sides of the pork with the warmed honey, then return to the oven and roast for 5 minutes or until the honey is bubbling and caramelising. Turn the pieces over and cook for another 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 100°C (210°F) and roast for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with warmed honey again.
7.  Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine all the ingredients and 3 tablespoons of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, then remove from the heat.
8.  Cut the char siu into 1 cm (½ in) pieces and arrange on a serving plate. Pour the sauce over the top and serve.