Sheet-Pan Scallion Shrimp With Crispy Rice
This has the flavors of shrimp fried rice, but with a texture that varies between crunchy and soft. Roasting the oiled rice makes the edges especially crisp, while the center grains stay plump and moist. If you want to substitute long-grain rice, watch it carefully; it browns (and can dry out) more quickly than short-grain.
Ingredients
- 6 cups cooked white or brown short-grain rice
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt or table salt
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon finely grated or minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce or soy sauce
- 1 pound medium or large shrimp
- 1 jalapeño or serrano chile
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
- 2
Spread the cooked rice out on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, then sprinkle with the scallion whites and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix and massage the rice until it’s evenly coated with salt, scallions and oil. Add a little more oil, if needed, to fully coat the rice so that it crisps up in the oven.
- 3
Spread everything out into an even layer and roast until the rice is crisp at the edges, 25 to 35 minutes.
- 4
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, fish sauce and remaining ½ teaspoons salt, and mix well. Transfer half of this paste to a small bowl and set aside for later (this will become your sauce).
- 5
Add shrimp to the large bowl and toss until the pieces are well coated. Let sit at room temperature while the rice cooks.
- 6
When the rice is golden brown in spots (especially along the edges), scatter the shrimp on top in one layer and continue to roast until the shrimp are cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes longer, depending on size.
- 7
To finish the sauce, stir the remaining 2 tablespoons neutral oil, lime juice and jalapeños into the ginger mixture.
- 8
Dab or drizzle the sauce onto the rice and shrimp, and stir everything so the crisp parts are mixed into the soft part of the rice and the shrimp gets laced throughout. Taste rice and add a little more salt, fish sauce, sesame oil and lime juice, if necessary; rice can take a lot of seasoning. Top everything with scallion greens to serve.