Fried Rice with Dried Scallops and Egg Whites

My family loves the Fried Rice with Dried Scallops of King Chef along Banawe st. in Quezon City.  We have never eaten at the restaurant itself, preferring instead to order take-outs.  And on the numerous occasions that we did, the Fried Rice with Dried Scallops is consistently on our list.

So when I found myself at the receiving end of a bagful of dried scallops, recreating it immediately came to mind.  Here's my version...

Fried Rice with Dried Scallops and Egg Whites
(Serves 6-8)

• 1/2 cup dried scallop shreds
• 5 cups cooled cooked rice
• asparagus, or chinese broccoli stems
• 6 to 8 egg whites (1 cup)
• 3 sprigs of spring onion (when finely sliced/chopped, should come to about one cup, white and green parts separated)
• 1 Tbsp chicken stock powder
•  dash of salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Rinse the dried scallops and rub off any white film on their surface. Wash and place in bowl, covered with hot water overnight or upto 24 hours.
2. Drain scallops, reserving the stock . Shred scallops by hand, discarding the hard muscles. Bake scallops in oven till crispy. Set aside for later use.
3. Heat non-stick wok and put in 1/8 cup of oil. Fry dried scallops shreds until golden brown. Dish up scallops shreds leaving behind oil in wok.
4. Whisk together the egg whites, the stock from the scallop until it reaches upto 1 cup full. Season with salt and pepper. Fry egg whites, scrambled until cooked, dish up. Do not overcook.
5. (use the same wok, unwashed, but make sure there are no egg whites left in wok) Put in 1-2 tbsp oil into wok and put in sliced white parts of spring onion. Saute for 3 seconds and put in rice. Toss rice for about 3-4 minutes until rice is very hot and evenly coated with the oil. Toss in sliced asparagus. Season with chicken stock powder and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.
6. When rice is nicely seasoned, put in egg whites. Toss until evenly distributed. You may add in fried scallop shreds and green parts of spring onion now or sprinkle them on top of rice later.
7. Enjoy it while hot!