Name: Fried Rice with Ham and Peas
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons oyster sauce; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil; 3 large eggs , beaten lightly; 1 cup frozen peas , thawed; 8 ounces thick-sliced baked ham , cut into 1/4-inch pieces; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 2 (8.8-ounce) packages Ben's Original Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice; 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts; 5 scallions , sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

We preferred to use either Ben’s Original Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice or leftover white rice in our Fried Rice with Ham and Peas recipe because freshly cooked rice was too sticky to properly fry. The temperature of the pan was also important: It had to be smoking hot when we fried the rice, and we had to constantly stir its contents. Otherwise, the fried rice would steam and stick.

Before You Begin

When making fried rice, cold cooked rice is essential. If you don't have 4 cups of leftover rice on hand (and leaving a fresh batch to cool for several hours isn't practical), Ben's Original Ready Rice is your answer. These microwavable pouches of rice are meant to be heated for 90 seconds, but we skipped this step and simply poured the contents of the package straight into the skillet. While traditional fried rice is usually made with white rice, we preferred the nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture of brown rice.

Instructions

Combine oyster and soy sauces in small bowl; set aside. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Swirl to coat pan bottom, add eggs and cook, without stirring, until just set, about 20 seconds. Scramble and break eggs into small pieces and cook, stirring constantly, until cooked through but not browned, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl.

Increase heat to high and heat remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons oil until just smoking. Swirl to coat pan bottom, add peas and ham and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds (watch for splattering). Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and oyster sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly and breaking up rice clumps, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, bean sprouts, and scallions and cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1 minute. Serve.