Fried Rice with Duck and Lychee

Tired of Sunday night roast chicken? Whip up this elegant, knock-their-socks-off dish. The rich duck meat plays off the sweet lychee, all soaked up by fragrant rice. The recipe calls for a duck already roasted at your friendly neighbourhood Asian food store, so assembly couldn’t be easier. This recipe features jasmine rice (named for the subtle, hunger-inducing aroma it gives off while being steamed). Use jasmine rice; no other rice will do when it comes to Thai food. Oh, and save the duck bones to make a delicious soup stock.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/2 ounces (100 g) roast duck, finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) soy sauce
• Pinch of ground white or black pepper, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) finely grated or chopped palm sugar
• 2 cups (500 mL) cooked jasmine rice
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) fish sauce
• 6 fresh lychee, peeled and pitted, or canned lychees, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) thinly sliced green onions
• 10 to 12 snow peas, cleaned
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• Lime wedges, for garnish
• Fresh bean sprouts, to serve (optional)
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) deep-fried shallots, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high. Fry the garlic briefly, or until fragrant. Immediately break the egg into the wok, and fry without moving until it’s partially set, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the duck, and season with the soy sauce, white (or black) pepper, and a pinch of salt. Push the egg and duck to one side of the wok, and add the rice. Combine the 2 sides of the wok, mixing the rice, egg, and duck, by using a shovelling motion and working from the bottom up so that all the rice has a chance to fry in the oil. Do this for about 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle more pepper on the rice, then add the lychees, green onions, snow peas, and cilantro. Add sugar and toss and for another minute, making sure the lychees are folded into the rice. Remove the wok from the heat, and sprinkle with the fish sauce.
4. Serve garnished with lime wedges, and with the bean sprouts and deep-fried shallots, if using.

 Serves 2