bits and pieces

I’ve been more into eating rice than noodles lately, especially when it’s fried, so I thought I’d try this recipe for Ham-and-Egg Fried Rice from Everyday Food Magazine. The egg isn’t blended in as usual, but the picture looked good and I hadn’t had ham in awhile.

The prep was fairly simple, though I hadn’t grated ginger before, so it was a bit messier than I expected. I think I also used a bit more rice than called for, but I don’t think that was a problem.

As you can see, I made a bit of a mess with the egg. It didn’t actually explode, though it definitely looks that way!

So, on the positive side, the ham was tasty, and I liked trying out the fried egg on top. However, I usually like a lighter fried rice with the egg blended in, and this just wasn’t doing it for me. The rice ended up being kind of gummy, probably from the rice vinegar and soy sauce, neither of which I normally use. So it was kind of heavy and gross, and I ended up throwing away half of the bowl. Sad.

Here’s the recipe for reference:

Ham-and-Egg Fried Rice
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 thick slice ham (8 ounces), cut into 1/4-by-1-inch strips
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/4 cups cooked white rice, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add ham, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
2. Add rice, scallion greens, vinegar, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Divide fried rice among four serving bowls.
3. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Gently crack eggs into skillet; season with salt, and cook until whites are set, 2 to 4 minutes. Top each bowl of rice with a fried egg.