Although the recipe title may make you think I grabbed the first things I had in the fridge for this dish, I assure you that this pineapple and apple fried rice in a wok is absolutely amazing. The contrast between the sweetness of the fruit and the kick of the chili oil is very interesting, and the result is fabulous. The rice stays separate, and the eggs add a slightly creamy texture, balancing the dish.
In this recipe, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that the rice must stay separate. The key to perfect fried rice is always to use cooked, cold rice. As it cools, the starch in the rice stabilizes and the grains become firmer. If you cook it the day before and leave it in the fridge, it will be at the perfect point for stir-frying. Hot rice has more moisture and active starch, so if it is used without cooling, it will clump together in the wok.
As you can see, the secret to perfect fried rice is within everyone's reach. But there is also another very important point, and that is the material of the utensil we are going to cook it in. The ideal choice is an iron wok like the Ken Hom Excellence wok, since iron reaches and retains high temperatures, helping moisture evaporate quickly. This favours quick stir-frying, as in this recipe, and produces separate, lightly toasted, and delicious rice!
And now that we have the keys to achieving a professional result, let's get to the recipe for pineapple and apple fried rice in a wok.
Ingredients for 4 people
- 300 g of rice (uncooked), cooked and cold (preferably from the day before)
- 4 eggs
- 1 fresh pineapple, peeled
- 2-3 apples, peeled
- 4-6 spring onion stalks
- 4 tablespoons mild olive oil
- Hot oil to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Take the cooked rice out of the fridge and set aside.
- Put the eggs in a bowl and beat them with a little salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Now cut the pineapple into fairly small dice, removing the harder core. Also cut the apples into dice, more or less the same size as the pineapple, and cut the spring onion stalks into slices about half a centimeter thick. Set aside.
- Heat your Ken Hom Excellence iron wok over medium heat and let it gradually come up to temperature.
- When you notice the wok giving off heat and being very hot, add the oil and the cooked, cold rice. Stir with two spatulas so it heats through and cooks evenly. You can press it lightly against the wok before stirring so it heats up properly. Keep stir-frying the rice until you see it is completely heated through.
- At this point, when all the rice is very hot, add the beaten eggs directly over the rice and keep stirring nonstop so they set and blend in evenly.
- Add the spring onion and stir to mix it in well.
- Now add the hot oil to taste and stir to distribute the flavor.
- Finally, add the pineapple and apple dice; stir to mix all the ingredients and let the fruit warm through slightly.
- As soon as you see it is ready (you don't want the fruit to fall apart), taste and add more hot oil if needed.
- Remove the wok from the heat and add the sesame oil before serving, to give it a very aromatic touch that pairs wonderfully with this rice.
