Instructions: Fried rice is very accommodating. If you have a little tomato or spinach or other greens, finely chop them and add after youve begun to stir-fry the rice.

Many people like to eat a fried egg on top of their fried rice. Wipe out your wok, heat about 2 teaspoons of oil and quickly fry the egg, then turn it out onto the rice. Its delicious.

2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 to 8 cloves garlic, minced (or even more if not using optional ingredients)

1 to 2 ounces thinly sliced boneless pork (optional)

2 cups cold cooked rice (preferably Thai jasmine)

2 green onions, trimmed, slivered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch lengths

(opt)

2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce, or to taste Garnish and accompaniments:
About 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
About 6 thin cucumber slices
1 small green onion, trimmed (optional)

2 lime wedges
1/4 cup Thai Fish Sauce With Hot Chilies (recipe follows)

Heat a large, heavy wok over high heat. When it is hot, add the oil and heat until very hot. Add the garlic and stir-fry until just golden, about 20 seconds.

Add the pork, if using, and cook, stirring constantly, until all the pork has changed color completely, about 1 minute.

Add the rice, breaking it up with wet fingers as you toss it into the wok.

With your spatula, keep moving the rice around the wok. At first it may stick, but keep scooping and tossing it and soon it will be more manageable. Try to visualize frying each little bit of rice, sometimes pressing the rice against the wok with the back of your spatula. Good fried rice should have a faint seared-in-the-wok taste. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the slivered green onions, then the fish sauce, and stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Turn out onto a dinner plate and garnish with the coriander. Lay a row of cucumber slices, the remaining green onion, and the lime wedges around the rice.

Squeeze the lime onto the rice as you eat it, along with the Thai Fish Sauce With Hot Chilies - the salty, hot taste of the sauce brings out the full flavor of the rice.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.