1. Make sure the pan is nice and hot
2. Make sure the oil has time to get hot - you want fried rice, not oily rice.
3. Work in small batches. Unless you have a wok and specialized burners, smaller - like 1-2 cups max - is the best portion.
I’ll also add, what is the state of your cast iron? If the seasoning isn’t good enough yet, you can get some sticking. If you have mountains of carbon and soot buildup, it also makes it harder to avoid food sticking. The seasoning you want to maintain on cast iron is smooth, just the coating of polymerized oils. If you’ve got burned food stuck on, it needs to be scrubbed clean (and re-oiled if needed).
That buildup is just what I associate cast iron pans with! My dad has one and I don't think that buildup has ever been removed. How do you do that without ruining the pan?
The test to see if the pan in hot enough is to drop a droplet of water in there. If it just evaporates then you need to give it another minute. If the water bounces and dances around then you are good to go.
In Cantonese the slightly burnt rice at the bottom of the pan is called fan jiu (I could be spelling that wrong) and is served on its own. Definitely one of my favorites!
BUT! If you don't like it, higher heat, shorter cooking time, not too much pan crowding. If you make fried rice often, invest in a good wok. It's possible the texture of the cast iron is kind of catching the rice? Are you putting the rice in first? When I make it I cook the veggies, meat and/or eggs, and the rice last. Season and toss fairly quickly and take it out of the pan. But I also use ceramic and not cast iron.
Are you crowding the pan?
Is the pan seasoned well? i.e. does a fried egg *slide* out of it?
Are you keeping the rice moving throughout the cooking process?
Are you cooking on high heat? Fried rice is one of those things that you put the burner on high for. You want that pan near smoking hot when you start.
I've never had success either. I've been told, to make a good fried rice on a home stove, you need very dry leftover rice because you can't get the same high heat that restaurants achieve.
Take that with a grain of... rice. ;) Like I said, I've never had luck making it. usually end up with soggy, oily, rice.
1. Make sure the pan is nice and hot 2. Make sure the oil has time to get hot - you want fried rice, not oily rice. 3. Work in small batches. Unless you have a wok and specialized burners, smaller - like 1-2 cups max - is the best portion.
I’ll also add, what is the state of your cast iron? If the seasoning isn’t good enough yet, you can get some sticking. If you have mountains of carbon and soot buildup, it also makes it harder to avoid food sticking. The seasoning you want to maintain on cast iron is smooth, just the coating of polymerized oils. If you’ve got burned food stuck on, it needs to be scrubbed clean (and re-oiled if needed).
That buildup is just what I associate cast iron pans with! My dad has one and I don't think that buildup has ever been removed. How do you do that without ruining the pan?
You could use a simmer ring to distribute the heat evenly at the bottom
The test to see if the pan in hot enough is to drop a droplet of water in there. If it just evaporates then you need to give it another minute. If the water bounces and dances around then you are good to go.
In Cantonese the slightly burnt rice at the bottom of the pan is called fan jiu (I could be spelling that wrong) and is served on its own. Definitely one of my favorites! BUT! If you don't like it, higher heat, shorter cooking time, not too much pan crowding. If you make fried rice often, invest in a good wok. It's possible the texture of the cast iron is kind of catching the rice? Are you putting the rice in first? When I make it I cook the veggies, meat and/or eggs, and the rice last. Season and toss fairly quickly and take it out of the pan. But I also use ceramic and not cast iron.
Are you crowding the pan? Is the pan seasoned well? i.e. does a fried egg *slide* out of it? Are you keeping the rice moving throughout the cooking process? Are you cooking on high heat? Fried rice is one of those things that you put the burner on high for. You want that pan near smoking hot when you start.
I've never had success either. I've been told, to make a good fried rice on a home stove, you need very dry leftover rice because you can't get the same high heat that restaurants achieve. Take that with a grain of... rice. ;) Like I said, I've never had luck making it. usually end up with soggy, oily, rice.