Here’s the dish! Having been home for months now, I am always looking to recreate some of my favorite restaurant dishes. I’ve had some take out during this pandemic, but for the most part, I’ve been back in the kitchen cooking up delicious meals. Fried Rice is one of my favorite dishes to make, because you can literally add whatever you like.  Since I was using pineapple in the rice, I decided to plate them in a Pineapple Bowl, which really elevates the presentation. Enjoy some of my favorite flavors to cook up in this delicious Thai Basil Fried Rice with Shrimp, Crab & Pineapple.

Ingredients

Coconut Cilantro Lime Rice

2 Cups Basmati Rice (or whatever kind you like)
1-1/2 Cups Coconut Milk (may need to adjust depending on rice type)
1-1/2 Chicken Broth (may need to adjust depending on rice type)
3-4 Sprigs of Fresh Cilantro
3-4 Green Onions, cut in thirds
Zest of one Lime
Juice of two Limes
Salt to taste
1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil (optional)

Thai Basil Fried Rice

4 Cups Coconut Cilantro Lime Rice (or whatever kind you have)
1 Pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 Ounces Lump Crab Meat, drained
2 Tablespoons Ginger, finely minced
2 Tablespoons Garlic, finely minced
4 Green Onions, finely chopped with green tops and white bottoms separated
1/2 Cup Carrots, julienned
1/2 Cup Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1/2 Cup Yellow onion, finely sliced
1/2 Cup Thai Basil Leaves
1 Cup Pineapple, small diced
1/3 Cup Cashews
1/3 Cilantro, chopped
2 Eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
2-4 Tablespoons Grapeseed Oil (or one with a high smoke point)
1/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Chili Garlic Sauce to taste
1 Lime, sliced
Fresh Jalapeno, sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

This dish can absolutely be made with plain rice, but why not add flavor at every step. This is definitely best with day-old rice instead of fresh rice, so feel free to use leftover rice from the night before if you have it. I used my pressure slow cooker to cook the rice, because it comes out perfect every time.

Follow the rice to water ratio on the instructions for the type of  rice you’re cooking and add other components of the dish to add flavor to the rice. For this Thai-inspired dish, I decided to use coconut milk and chicken bone broth as my liquids and added green onion, cilantro sprigs, sesame oil, squeeze of lime juice, and salt for more flavor. When the rice is finished cooking, fold in the zest from the limes.

Fried Rice is so easy to cook, and it comes together quickly. The best thing you can do is have all your ingredients prepped and ready to add to the pan. Season the lump crab meat and shrimp with the chili garlic sauce, adding as much as you are comfortable with for the spice level. If you prefer to keep it milder, you can season them with soy sauce instead. Hold off on adding salt to the protein. I’m always cognizant of seasoning food with salt when I’m using soy sauce, which has a lot of sodium and is salty to taste. I’ve learned to wait until the dish is near finished before seasoning with salt when using soy sauce. This helps ensure you don’t end up with a dish that’s too salty to eat.

Season protein with Chili Garlic Sauce if you like spice or Soy Sauce if you prefer it milder.

Aromatics: Ginger, Garlic, and White Bottoms of the Green Onion

Cook the diced Pineapple in Butter until caramelized.

Start the Fried Rice by cooking your proteins. Add the grapeseed oil and a bit of sesame oil to the pan and add the shrimp; cook 4 to 6 minutes until done. Move the shrimp to the outside of the pan and add the lump crab meat; heat through for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp and crab meat from the pan and wipe it clean. Melt the pad of butter and add the pineapple; cook until they get a nice brown caramelization on them. Remove the pineapple from the pan and add more grapeseed oil and sesame oil; add the aromatics — garlic, ginger, and white bottoms of the green onions — and cook 30 to 60 seconds until soft. Add the sturdier vegetables — the carrots, red bell pepper, and sliced onions — and cook them 3 to 4 minutes on high heat. Don’t cook them too long; you still want a bit of crunch to them.

Add the cooked rice, season with soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, stirring it frequently to incorporate the sauces. Once the rice has cooked for a few minutes, move it to the outer edge of the pan, and add the beaten eggs to the center of the pan. Scramble the eggs, chopping them as you move them around the pan. Be sure the eggs are completely cooked before incorporating them into the rice. Add in the cooked shrimp, seasoned lump crab meat, caramelized pineapple, Thai basil, and cashews.

Taste the rice to see if you’d like to add more spice with the chili garlic sauce or more soy sauce. If you’d like to add salt and pepper, add it. Add half of the Fried Rice into each half of the pineapple bowls and garnish with fresh jalapeno, cilantro, green onion, and lime.

I hope you enjoy this Fried Rice recipe as much as I did! Happy cooking!