Perfect Holiday Fried Rice

If you need inspiration on how to serve rice for holiday get-togethers, try this. Salty Chinese ham joins sweet Japanese sausage in this bright and festive fried rice.

While fried rice is mostly considered a way of recycling leftovers, there’s no earthly reason why you can take premium ingredients and put them together to make a rice dish that’s so good it can be a one-dish meal.

Why does the combination of salty Chinese ham and sweet Japanese sausage work? Because instead of a one-dimensional dish, you get contrast in flavors. And since both ham and sausage are cured meats, the richness is simple incredible.

When choosing the vegetables, try for variety in color, shape and texture. While carrot, peas and bell peppers are usual choices, you may opt for broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, corn or asparagus. Just remember to cut them into really small pieces.

Mushrooms also make a great addition to fried rice. Shiitake, shimeji and straw mushrooms are highly recommended.

Perfect Holiday Fried Rice

Recipe by Connie Veneracion

To make this dish truly worthy of a special occasion, try not to scrimp on the ingredients. Use generous amounts of meat, vegetables and eggs.

You want the flavors of the ham, sausage and vegetables to shine so season the rice very simply (soy sauce works well) and resist the urge to add oyster sauce or anything too rich.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Asian

Servings 6 people

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 tablespoons cooking oil divided
• ½ cup chopped shallot
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ cup chopped bell pepper
• salt
• pepper
• 1 cup chopped Chinese ham
• 1 cup chopped Japanese sausage or any sweet Asian sausage
• ½ cup sweet peas
• 3 eggs lightly beaten
• 6 cups day-old rice
• 3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Instructions

 

• In a large wok or frying pan, heat two tablespoons cooking oil.
• Stir fry the carrot and shallots for a minute.
  
• Add the bell pepper, sprinkle in a little salt and pepper, and stir fry for another half a minute.
• Add the ham and sausage, and stir fry for a few minutes until the pieces of meat are starting to brown along the edges.
  
• Add the peas, stir fry for half a minute, and scoop out the meat and vegetables into a bowl.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan and pour in the beaten eggs. Sprinkle in salt and pepper.
  
• Cook, stirring, until no longer wet. Using your spatula, break into small pieces without removing from the pan.
• Add the rice to the eggs and pour the soy sauce over the rice.
  
• Stir fry until the rice is heated through.
• Take the cooked ham, sausage and vegetables and add to the rice and eggs.
• Stir fry for a minute then taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
  
• Off the heat, drizzle in the sesame seed oil, toss everything thoroughly and serve.

Keyword fried rice

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