Nasi Goreng - Chicken Fried Rice
- Posted on
- By Adventure.ie
Kieran Creevy, Adventure.ie expedition chef and MSR ambassador shows us how to make a simple, wholesome Nasi Goreng. A tasty chicken fried rice, full of your protein and carb needs after a hard day of trekking.
Nasi Goreng - Chicken Fried Rice
The following recipe is based on an outdoor cooking masterclass held by us, Adventure.ie in conjunction with MSR stoves. Expedition chef, Kieran Creevy walked participants through this really flavourful meal prep. Packed with protein and carbs, it's exactly what the body needs after a hard day of trekking. We demolished our samples and it's already been added to our family meal repertoire at home. I can't wait to try it out on our next camping trip!
It might be an easier one for those lucky enough to have camper-vans with refrigeration, but methods to carry the chicken safely were discussed too, you'll see our key take-aways at the bottom.
Stove used:
MSR Windburner Stove. Chosen for its simmering and fast cooking capabilities.
Accessories used:
- - Windburner stock pot (4.5L for group/family cooking)
- - Small camp chopping board
- - Knife for chopping
- - Wooden spoon
Nasi Goreng - Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients:
- - Precooked rice (shop bought is easiest when camping for food safety reasons - see below)
- - Chicken breasts (could be pre-prepared - see below)
- - Coconut oil
- - Spring onions
- - Garlic paste
- - Chilli paste
- - Soy sauce
- - An egg
- - Coriander if desired
Method:
- 1. Chop a couple of spring onions and add to the pot over a low heat with a tablespoon of coconut oil, a squeeze of each of the garlic and chilli pastes - don't be shy with these!
- 2. While that's cooking, slice the chicken breasts, adding a small amount at a time to the pot and turning up the heat. (Why? See Kieran's answer below)
- 3. When the chicken is cooked, add the pre-cooked rice and stir the mixture.
- 4. Add soy sauce or sweet soy sauce and mix well.
- 5. Add an egg and mix well.
- 6. Garnish with coriander, serve with flatbread.
Nasi Goreng - Chicken Fried Rice: Let's talk about food safety...
The dangers of rice... Rice should be either eaten immediately when cooked or cooled down in your fridge ASAP. If it's not cooled quickly, it develops spores which can cause food poisoning. If it is cooled quickly, rice cooked at home can be used the following day in salads or in a meal such as this. But - and here's the key - it must be kept cool (fridge temperature). You might be okay if you're out and about in fridge like temperatures of 0 - 4 degrees C, but it's not really worth the risk when you can buy a packet of pre-cooked rice that can be stored at room temperature!
Then there's the chicken. You could slice it up at home, cook it and freeze it. Then carry it in a food flask to allow it to defrost slowly. This is what I tend to do with chicken - and so far, so good. It saves the heartache of trying to clean raw chicken off your chopping board and knife when you're off the beaten path without the luxury of easy hot soapy water or a dishwasher. For more on food safety, click here.
Nasi Goreng - Chicken Fried Rice: Add a small amount of chicken at a time - why?
Kieran mentioned this during the demonstration. It was a new one for most of us. Adding too much chicken to a pot/pan at any one time is effectively like turning down the heat. The heat that's coming in has to be shared between more food. Makes sense right? When you overcrowd your pan, the lower heat means the chicken doesn't seal and more fluid escapes from it. Salt can help, but essentially only cooking what the pot/pan can easily fit is key. Cook it in batches if you need to.
Washing-up: Use a campsite or camper-van sink if you have access to one or follow the washing up ethics found on page 18 of the Leave No Trace skills and ethics handbook.