CiberCuba Cocina
Sautéed Rice with Turkey and Ham | Photo © CiberCuba Cocina

Sautéed Rice with Turkey and Ham

Kitchen, Main Course

Preparation Time:
30
Note:
Stir-Fried Rice is a highly versatile dish in Cuba. There are various recipes, and it is generally prepared using a wok, a deep and wide pan that allows for mixing many ingredients. This dish has reached us as a heritage from Chinese immigrants. It is said that the use of the wok dates back around 2,000 years in Chinese culture. Stir-fried rice dishes have been made since then and became popular because they were flavorful, nutritious, and quick to prepare. To achieve the perfect Stir-Fried Rice, there are five essential elements: finely julienned vegetables, various deboned and chopped meats, pre-cooked rice, a wok sized appropriately for the amount of food you plan to prepare, and high heat. Meeting these requirements will ensure your stir-fried rice has the color, flavor, and textures of a gourmet dish. In Cuba, the most well-known stir-fried rice is Fried Rice, which stands out due to some mandatory ingredients, such as bean sprouts—known in Cuba as "frijolitos chinos"—and shrimp. We hope you enjoy this recipe, which, despite seeming complex due to the variety of ingredients, is both delicious and easy to make.
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup of cooked white rice, preferably long-grain rice.
  • ½ onion
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1 stalk of green onion (scallion)
  • 1 carrot
  • ½ yellow bell pepper
  • 2 chili peppers
  • 30 grams of fresh ginger
  • 200 grams of turkey breast
  • 150 grams of sweet ham
  • 50 grams of Serrano ham
  • 100 grams of finely chopped celery
  • 3 tablespoons of oil
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
Instructions:

Wash and cut all the vegetables into fine julienne strips or diced. Also dice the ham and turkey. Season the turkey breast pieces with salt and pepper, and set them aside.

Some ingredients of Fried Rice / CiberCuba Cocina

Heat the wok over high heat. Add the oil, and when it’s hot, incorporate the finely chopped garlic and ginger. Sauté them, then add the diced turkey breast, stirring to ensure everything is well combined and the meat absorbs the flavors.

Turkey breast, garlic, and ginger in the wok / CiberCuba Cocina

Three minutes later, when the turkey meat starts to turn white, add the sweet ham, serrano ham, carrot, bell pepper, chili, and celery. Stir and continue sautéing the ingredients in the wok. Three minutes later, add the onion cut into thin julienne strips.

Ingredients in the wok before adding the rice / CiberCuba Cocina

While continuing to stir to distribute the heat evenly, start adding the cooked white rice. Mix well. Add the soy sauce and continue sautéing the ingredients in the wok. Once everything is well combined, check the salt level. Because soy sauce is usually quite salty, we recommend not adding any salt to the dish at this stage.

Stir-Fried Rice without adding soy sauce / CiberCuba Cooking

To finish, stir in the finely chopped chives, mix well, and let the rice rest for a couple of minutes. Give it one last sauté and serve it hot.

Stir-Fried Rice in the Wok / CiberCuba Kitchen

You can serve it with soy sauce so each diner can add it to their liking.

Enjoy your meal!

Rations:
4