Shrimp fried rice

This shrimp fried rice dish tastes just as good when prepared inside, but it’s better when you pull out the flat-top grill or a camping wok and cook a meal on the patio or deck. And it is very easy to make.

I like to use medium size shrimp, but they might not be available. If you can’t find smaller shrimp, you’ll need to cut the shrimp into smaller pieces. I usually cut them before cooking and think the smaller pieces pick up more flavor. Peel and devein the shrimp whether using them whole or cutting them.

It’s easy to overcook shrimp and make them chewy. If your grill is hot, one to two minutes should be plenty of time. When they start turning pink, they’re ready.

This works well with either white or brown rice, and either can be cooked following the recipe on the package. However, if you want to make your rice a little tastier, add chicken flavor bouillon or Better than Bouillon to the water before cooking the rice. This also takes away the light chalky aftertaste some rice has. I also add just a little extra water so the rice stays moist.

Peas and carrots are the standard vegetables for this and they are available canned or frozen. Frozen is the way to go for this. Canned peas and carrots tend to get mushy, while frozen stay firmer.

This recipe calls for a single egg that is scrambled on the grill and then stirred into the rice and vegetables. I use a single large egg, but if you like more egg in your fried rice, shift up to an extra-large or jumbo. Those who aren’t as fond of eggs can downsize to a medium egg or eliminate it completely.

This really is a fun and tasty meal that is easy to prepare. It looks like a bunch of steps, but they go very quickly. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound shrimp
• 2 Cups cooked rice
• 1 Cup mixed carrots and peas (frozen)
• 1 Egg
• 2 TBSP softened butter
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• Chicken bouillon or Better than Bouillon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable (or canola) oil in squirt bottle

Optional:

• Substitute 12 ounces of crawfish tails for shrimp
• Use blackened seasoning or Cajun seasoning instead of salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

Rice:

1. Follow directions on box and add bouillon or Better Than Bouillon appropriate for the amount of water.
2. Either add a little more water or cook the rice a minute or two less to keep rice moist.

Shrimp and Vegetables:

1. Peel and devein the shrimp. If using crawfish, peel them.
2. Heat the flattop grill to medium-high heat.
3. Melt the butter.
4. Add the rice to the butter and stir and warm.
5. When rice is warm, add carrots and peas and stir for 1-2 minutes.
6. Drizzle half the soy sauce over rice and vegeatable mixture and stir to mix well.
7. Push the rice and vegetable mixture to the side.
8. Crack and beat the egg.
9. Squirt some oil on the open center of the grill
10. Scramble the egg.
11. Mix scrambled egg into rice and vegetables and push to the side.
12. Squirt a little more oil on open center of grill.
13. Cook shrimp until they turn pink. (1-2 minutes)
14. Put shrimp in with rice and vegetables, then add the rest of soy sauce or a light sprinkle of blackened or Cajun seasoning and mix well.
15. Serve while warm.

This is a pretty complete meal. It has carbs, vegetables and meat. However, it is always good to begin a meal with a nice green salad or lettuce wedge. For those who like to finish their meal with something sweet, a light pie, like lemon meringue or key lime is a great way to top this off.

Fat Tuesday isn’t until March 4 in 2025, but if you want to give this a little Cajun flavor in a salute to Mardi Gras, it takes just a couple of simple changes to make it work. The first is to use crawfish tails instead of shrimp.

The second change is to use a little blackened seasoning or Cajun seasoning instead of salt and pepper. Add this slowly and carefully as it reaches a point where it becomes overly spicy very quickly. Taste it often to be sure not to exceed your preference for the spices.

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