[GrandMasterD]

In some selected take out Chinese foods I have seen the cooks stir fry rice in the wok and at some point dip into an old can with the spatula and add what appears to be some kind of infused oil. This adds an incredible light lemony/oniony flavor to the rice. I cannot describe it any better than this.

This can also gets filled with some left over fried rice every once in awhile. Does anyone know what I am talking about or better yet can tell me what this really is. I am desperate to know from some seasoned Chinese chef.

[OahuAmateurChef]

Watching this thread...

[Gunnar]

dunno for sure, but sounds like a ponzu type flavor your describing. A soy sauce with citrus and mirin, I think. Could be a house sauce, a little sumthin sumthin the cook whipped up but more input is still needed.


Heh, just noticed you specifically said an oil, back to having not even a guess.

[GrandMasterD]

Thanks Folks:

I know for almost certianty that it is an infused oil of some kind. I have only seen it and tasted it in three resturants. Two in Canada (Near Toronto) and in a little take out spot in Panama City Florida. This oil is placed in the rice at the last minute stirred ,then served.

Maybe I will get lucky and a Chinese chef will see this and shed some light on the mixture.

[fldzone]

This is from a friend of mine (he is a Chinese chef).

Save up the head and tail of an onion and the green part of green onion

Warm up the oil (do not used strong flavor oil such as sesame oil) add onion and green onion. Cook until the onion starting to dry up but not burn, drain the oil and there you have it.

This is what he calls finishing oil, it add flavor and a gloss finish to the dish.

Hope this help.

Originally Posted by GrandMasterD

Thanks Folks:

I know for almost certianty that it is an infused oil of some kind. I have only seen it and tasted it in three resturants. Two in Canada (Near Toronto) and in a little take out spot in Panama City Florida. This oil is placed in the rice at the last minute stirred ,then served.

Maybe I will get lucky and a Chinese chef will see this and shed some light on the mixture.

[GrandMasterD]

Originally Posted by fldzone

This is from a friend of mine (he is a Chinese chef).

Save up the head and tail of an onion and the green part of green onion

Warm up the oil (do not used strong flavor oil such as sesame oil) add onion and green onion. Cook until the onion starting to dry up but not burn, drain the oil and there you have it.

This is what he calls finishing oil, it add flavor and a gloss finish to the dish.

Hope this help.

So many Thanks FLDZone. That sounds exactly what it is. I am gonna try it on my next batch of homemade fried rice. You and your friend are great> I have been looking for this simple recipe for years. Thx again

[fldzone]

Please let me know how that turn out, cause I never try it myself.

[GrandMasterD]

Originally Posted by fldzone

Please let me know how that turn out, cause I never try it myself.

Thanks again for your help. I tried it twice. I burned the onions the first time and of course that was ruined. I used canola oil. The second time I got it right with your recipe. We are on the right track , but there is something missing. The oil tasted too oiley not enough onion/lemon flavour. I wonder if ther is lemon rind put in. I'll try it later.

Anyway I am still looking. There is nothing on the internet with chinese finishing oil. But many thanks again.

[RSteve]

I'm not certain alot of folks would eat the rice if they knew what was in the finishing oil. It never will be the same from chef to chef. Every chef gives his/her finishing oil a little different finish. It may have a hint of lemon, but probably lemon grass and a hint of garlic. Also, don't be surprised if the some of the oil is rendered chicken fat or fish oil.

[GrandMasterD]

Thx RSteve I am certain if we new what was in it it might not sound so good.I have seen the chefs take left over fried rice and plop it into the oil. I don't know if that's the secret or not, but I will experiment with lemon grass and lemon zest as you suggest to see. I have asked the chefs whats in the old can at the side of the wok and so far I've been told just canola oil.

I wonder if anyone out there knows what I am talking about. The flavor it adds to the rice is amazingly subtle but delicious.

The saga continues.

[HIME]

Originally Posted by GrandMasterD

Thx RSteve I am certain if we new what was in it it might not sound so good.I have seen the chefs take left over fried rice and plop it into the oil. I don't know if that's the secret or not, but I will experiment with lemon grass and lemon zest as you suggest to see. I have asked the chefs whats in the old can at the side of the wok and so far I've been told just canola oil.

I wonder if anyone out there knows what I am talking about. The flavor it adds to the rice is amazingly subtle but delicious.

The saga continues.

usually in chinese cooking they don't use cannola oil. try making infuse oil with peanut oil and slice onion,and let it caramelize use just the oil , probably it help , for the lemon thing try add slice of kafir lime leaf .

[GrandMasterD]

Thx Hime:


I'll give it a try!!

[phatch]

I wouldn't be surprised if this was some oil left over from all the quick deep frying. Not from a deep fryer, but Chinese restaurants do a brief deep fry as part of meat cooking. I can see that oil getting interestingly flavored but not so heavily used as would come from a dedicated fryer.

Phil

[Fel3232]

Originally Posted by phatch

I wouldn't be surprised if this was some oil left over from all the quick deep frying. Not from a deep fryer, but Chinese restaurants do a brief deep fry as part of meat cooking. I can see that oil getting interestingly flavored but not so heavily used as would come from a dedicated fryer.

Phil

The secret is the high temp dedicated fryer, it only takes minutes if not seconds.

[linguini]

try this excellent recipe for chicken fried rice with ham and shrimp.