Name: Garlic Fried Rice
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4½ cups cooked jasmine rice , cold; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 8 garlic cloves , chopped fine; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 scallion , sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

Garlic rice is a typical Filipino side dish. We began by gently toasting chopped garlic in oil until it was golden brown. Then we added cold cooked rice to the skillet and stirred to infuse it with the garlic-flavored oil as it heated through and to disperse the chopped garlic throughout.

Before You Begin

One-and-a-half cups of raw jasmine rice cooked with 2¼ cups of water will yield 4½ cups of cooked rice. Make sure that the rice is cold before frying; otherwise, it can turn gummy. We run the cooled rice under water to break up the clumps so that it's easier to manage in the skillet. Be sure to let the excess water drain off the rice for at least 5 minutes before transferring it to the skillet.

Instructions

Transfer rice to fine-mesh strainer. Place rice under cold running water and break up clumps with your hands. Let drain for 5 minutes.

Combine oil and garlic in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until garlic turns golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is evenly distributed throughout rice, about 2 minutes. Off heat, season with salt to taste. Transfer to dish, sprinkle with scallion, and serve.