Leftover Ham Fried Rice

Name: Leftover Ham Fried Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 3–4 cups cold cooked rice; 250–300 g leftover ham, diced; 1 carrot, finely diced; ½–1 red capsicum, diced; 3–4 spring onions, sliced, white and green parts separated; ¾ cup frozen peas; 3 eggs, lightly beaten; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp sesame oil; Neutral oil, for frying; Black or white pepper, to taste

Leftover ham is fried until lightly caramelised, then tossed with cold rice, egg, carrot, capsicum, peas and spring onion. Soy, oyster sauce and sesame oil bring everything together for an easy meal after Christmas, Easter or any weekend ham.

A glazed ham rarely disappears in one sitting. After Christmas, Easter or a long weekend, there is usually a generous piece left in the fridge waiting to become another meal.

Fried rice has long been one of the most practical ways to use it. The ham goes into a hot pan on its own first, so the edges catch and caramelise, and any glaze still clinging to it turns sticky and dark. This one was made with leftovers from my Madeira-glazed smoked ham, though any leftover leg ham works just as well. Cold rice, egg, carrot, capsicum and peas follow, with soy and oyster sauce for savoury depth and sesame oil tossed through at the very end for its toasted fragrance.

It is simple, familiar food, and a very good reason to make sure there is ham left over.

Prep: 10 min · Cook: 15 min · Serves: 4 · Cuisine: Asian · Category: Rice

Ingredients

Leftover Ham Fried Rice

3–4 cups cold cooked rice
250–300 g leftover ham, diced
1 carrot, finely diced
½–1 red capsicum, diced
3–4 spring onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
¾ cup frozen peas
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
Neutral oil, for frying
Black or white pepper, to taste

Method

Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add a small amount of neutral oil, then add the diced ham. Fry until hot and lightly caramelised around the edges. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the beaten eggs to the hot pan and scramble until just cooked. Remove and set aside with the ham.
Add another small splash of oil if needed. Add the carrot and white parts of the spring onions and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes.
Add the capsicum, peas and garlic. Stir-fry briefly, keeping the vegetables bright and with a little bite.
Add the cold cooked rice, breaking up any clumps as it goes into the pan. Fry over high heat for several minutes, tossing regularly, until the rice is hot and beginning to toast.
Return the caramelised ham and scrambled egg to the pan. Add the light soy sauce and oyster sauce, then toss well until everything is evenly combined and heated through.
Remove from the heat and toss through the sesame oil, green spring onion tops and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Storage Notes

Cool any leftover fried rice quickly and refrigerate in an airtight container within an hour of cooking. Eat within a day, and reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout. Reheat only the portion you intend to eat.

Notes

Cold cooked rice works best here because the grains are firmer and separate more readily in the hot pan. Freshly cooked, warm rice tends to soften and clump. About 1 to 1⅓ cups of uncooked long grain rice gives you 3 to 4 cups cooked.

Ham, soy sauce and oyster sauce already provide plenty of seasoning, so taste the finished fried rice before considering any additional salt.

Use leftover ham within 3 days of cooking or glazing, and keep it refrigerated until you are ready to dice it.

Keep the pan hot and avoid overcrowding it if you are increasing the recipe. For a larger batch, cooking in two rounds will give the rice more opportunity to fry rather than steam.

Serving Suggestion

This is the perfect second meal from the Portuguese Christmas Ham with Madeira Glaze, and any glaze left on the ham caramelises beautifully in the pan. Serve it on its own in deep bowls, with a little extra soy sauce on the table for anyone who wants it.

The Grace Table Tip

Take the extra minute or two to fry the ham on its own before adding anything else. Lightly caramelising the edges concentrates its smoky, savoury flavour and gives the finished fried rice much more depth.

The rice is best cooked ahead and chilled before making the fried rice, which makes this particularly convenient when there is ham to use up. Cook it the day before, cool it quickly and keep it refrigerated until needed.