Fried rice with barbecue pork and prawns (Yeung chau chow fan)

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. This makes a small serve, but you can easily increase the quantities if you have more people to feed.

Yeung chau chow fan (Fried rice with barbecue pork and prawns) Credit: Alana Dimou

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:30 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Char sui

• 1 kg boneless pork collar, cut lengthways into 4 pieces
• fine sea salt
• 60 g (½ cup) cornflour
• 500 g warmed honey

Char siu marinade

• 100 g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp sesame paste
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• ½ tsp finely chopped red shallot
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• 1 tbsp rosé wine
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Sauce

• 40 g Chinese brown sugar or soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 120 g honey
• 2 tsp fine sea salt

Fried rice

• 2 tbsp canola oil (or other cooking oil)
• 2 eggs
• 500 g cooked rice
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 100 g small prawns, peeled and deveined
• 100 g choy sum stem, sliced
• 100 g Char siu 

Soaking time: 15 minutes

Marinating time: 5 hours

Instructions

1. To make the char sui, soak the pork in slightly salted water (about 1 teaspoon salt for every 1 litre) 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. 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 and roast for 30 minutes. Take the pork out and turn the oven back up to 240°C.
6. Brush both sides of the pork with 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 and roast for further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with 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 pieces and combine in a mixing bowl with the sauce.
9. To make the fried rice, heat a large wok over high 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.
10. Add the prawns, choy sum and char siu to the rice and stir-fry for 1 minute. Now finish with spring onion and serve immediately.

 

Hong Kong Local by ArChan Chan, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $39.99). Photography by Alana Dimou.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.