Fall back in love with lunch: Prawn, xo & chorizo fried rice 

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Fall back in love with lunch: Prawn, xo & chorizo fried rice

By Bill Granger

Published: | Updated:

Fried rice is the ultimate comfort food and this recipe is endlessly versatile. Often I stir in a couple of tablespoons of kimchi when I’ve fried the prawns.

SERVES 4

PICKLED CUCUMBER 

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp caster sugar

½ tsp salt

½ cucumber, roughly chopped

1 tbsp light-flavoured oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

2.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

200g chorizo, roughly chopped

16 raw prawns, peeled and deveined

4 spring onions, chopped

2 tbsp XO sauce (see tip)

600g cooked short-grain brown rice

2 tbsp soy sauce

4 eggs

4 tbsp crispy shallots (see tip)

1 large handful coriander

1 lime, cut into wedges

  • To make the pickled cucumber, mix the vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl, stirring until dissolved. Add the cucumber and toss to coat in the pickling liquid. Set aside.
  • Heat both oils in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chorizo and stir-fry for 3 minutes until the red oils come out of the chorizo. Add the prawns and spring onions and cook until the prawns are pink.
  • Stir in the XO sauce. Add the cooked rice and soy sauce and stir-fry for 3 minutes until mixed together. Keep warm.
  • To poach the eggs, bring 5cm water to the boil in a frying pan. Turn off the heat and add the eggs at once. To minimise spreading, break the egg directly into the water, carefully opening the two halves of the shell at the surface so the egg slides in. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave undisturbed for about 3 minutes. The eggs are cooked when the whites are opaque. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
  • Divide the fried rice between four bowls and add a poached egg, crispy shallots, coriander, some pickled cucumber and a lime wedge. Serve immediately.

TIP Shop-bought crispy shallots and XO sauce can be found at Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find XO, use 1 tbsp of fish sauce with 1 tbsp of chilli sauce for heat.