🥘 Ingredients
- eggs 3
- salt ¼ tsp
- vegetable oil 2 tsp
- vegetable oil 1 tsp
- carrot 1
- salt ¼ tsp
- ham steak 4 ounces
- scallions 4
- vegetable oil 1 tablespoon
- cooked jasmine rice 4 cups
- pepper ¼ tsp
- salt 1 tsp
- frozen peas ½ cup
🍳 Cookware
- 14-inch flat-bottomed wok
- 12-inch carbon-steel skillet
Stir-frying day-old rice with simple seasonings and a balance of mix-ins makes for a frugal and incredibly satisfying meal. Day-old jasmine rice worked best; the varietal is loaded with a popcorn-y aromatic compound that perfumed the fried rice with gorgeous fragrance, and when stir-fried, the hard, dry clumps relaxed into tender-firm, distinct grains. Toasting sliced scallion whites in neutral oil infused it with oniony savoriness that was subtle yet pervasive when it coated the rice. The simplicity of salt and pepper shined here. To make fluffy, tender pockets of scrambled eggs, we poured the raw beaten eggs into oil that was just smoking (not merely shimmering); the eggs puffed as their water rapidly turned to steam and their proteins set. A ratio of 2½ parts rice to 1 part mix-ins made for a rice-focused stir-fry, and we made sure to time the additions of the mix-ins so that the proteins were succulent and the vegetables were tender.
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1Beat eggs and salt in a bowl until well combined. Heat vegetable oil in 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch carbon-steel skillet over medium-high heat until oil is just smoking. Add eggs and cook, stirring frequently, until very little liquid egg remains, about 30 seconds to 60 seconds . Transfer to a large plate.
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2Add vegetable oil to the now-empty wok and reduce heat to medium. Add carrot and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 2-4 minutes . Add ham steak and cook, stirring frequently, until ham is warmed through, about 1-2 minutes . Transfer to the plate with eggs.
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3Add scallions and vegetable oil to the now-empty wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute . Add cooked jasmine rice and stir until combined. (It's OK if some clumps of rice remain.) Spread into an even layer . Sprinkle pepper and salt evenly over rice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and pressing on rice with spatula to break up clumps, until grains are separate and heated through, about 2-5 minutes .
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4Add frozen peas , egg mixture, and scallions (green parts) and cook, stirring frequently and using the edge of a spatula to break eggs into small pieces, until peas are warmed through, about 2 minutes . Serve.