Shrimp fried rice is a fan favorite for sure. With the addition of Thai basil, some broccoli and a few dashes of fish sauce, however, you get an easy new twist on this Thai basil shrimp fried rice dish.
Of course, I can’t go on talking about fish sauce without telling you a little fun fact about Sarah. Sarah hates seafood (used to, anyway. She’s warming up to it as she gets older), and she made that very clear before she was even born.
Being Shanghainese, I love any and all seafood, but when I was pregnant with Sarah, the sight and smell of seafood made me so nauseous that I had to eat in a separate room if anything remotely fishy was on the table for dinner.
The day after she was born, however, it was the first thing I craved, and I ate a whole fish by myself. True story. Luckily, she now enjoys sushi and salmon. The girl is getting smarter!
Okay, back to the recipe. If you’re like Sarah and you’re a little nervous about a condiment that bears the name “fish sauce,” just know that it adds a lot of subtle depth to the dish. It’s a must have. Sarah doesn’t even notice it’s there anymore!
Another tip: when adding the egg, we add it directly to the cooked rice here, without scrambling it separately first. This method allows the egg to coat all the grains of rice, giving the dish a great texture and richness. You can use this method with any fried rice recipe.
Ok let’s get to it. Thai Basil Shrimp Fried Rice, here we come!
Thai Basil Shrimp Fried Rice: Recipe Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch broccoli for 30 seconds and drain, rinsing under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Heat your wok over high heat until smoking slightly and add 2 tablespoons oil. Cook the shrimp, making sure to get a good sear, until just barely cooked through. Remove from the wok and set aside.
With the heat still on high, add another 2 tablespoons of oil and add the onion. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until softened.
Add the cooked rice to the wok, and mix, breaking up any large clumps of rice in the process.
Add the fish sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt and white pepper. Give everything a good stir.
Add the egg to the rice and stir rapidly, so that the egg cooks and forms a kind of glaze over each grain of rice.
Add the broccoli and shrimp back to the pan, along with the Thai basil.
Give everything a final stir for another minute or two.
Serve your Thai basil shrimp fried rice (with chili sauce if desired!).
What a great combo – shrimp fried rice and shrimp and broccoli rolled into one and kicked up a notch with Thai basil and Lao Gan Ma chili sauce!
Enough said about that. Just eat.
Other fried rice recipes to try include Beef Kimchi fried rice and Scallop Fried Rice with XO sauce.