The best fried rice I ever tasted was made in a cooking class by cookbook author Grace Young. Up to that time I had only eaten takeout fried rice and I found it very salty, mushy and packed with rubbery chicken.

Her fried rice was a different story — light, elegant, lightly seasoned and filled with fluffy eggs and fresh ingredients.

Fried rice is a one-pan marvel that can be adapted to include vegetables, seafood, poultry, meat or whatever you have in your refrigerator.

Those who grew up with homemade fried rice may have the technique down pat, but Young does offer some tips:

>> Fried rice is a a perfect use of leftover rice, but if you don’t have any, make some fresh, allowing time for it to cool. Just don’t use warm rice, which is too moist and soft, resulting in gummy fried rice.

>> To prevent clumps, spread just-cooked rice on a baking sheet, fluff it with a fork and refrigerate until ready to cook.

>> Rinse rice well. Whatever rice is chosen (long grain, jasmine, brown or glutinous) rinse it in cold water several times before cooking.

>> Measure and prep all ingredients before heating the pan and the dish will come together in just 15 minutes.

Young writes, “Crabmeat Fried Rice is both light and rich, a decadent main course or an elegant side dish for any meal. My fishmonger sells three different brands of lump crabmeat and each varies in how much cartilage remains in the meat. I choose the brand that has the least and then I check the crabmeat carefully by hand. Finding a piece of cartilage will ruin the pleasure of this scrumptious rice.”

CRABMEAT FRIED RICE

Adapted from “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge” by Grace Young (Simon & Schuster, 2010)

• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrot
• 4 cups cold cooked rice
• 1 cup diced ripe tomato
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 8 ounces lump crab meat, picked over to remove cartilage (1-1/2 cups)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in oil and add garlic; stir-fry 10 seconds, until garlic is fragrant. Add carrots and stir-fry 1 minute, until carrots begin to brown.

Add rice and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, breaking up rice until heated through. Add tomatoes, scallions and egg; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir-fry 1 minute or until egg is just set. Add crab and cilantro; stir-fry 30 seconds, until just heated through. Serves 3 as an entree or 4 as a side dish.

Nutritional information unavailable.