Honey (or maple) fried ham

My 9-year old discovered ham this summer. He won’t venture out of his safe island of starchy food at home, but lo and behold he came home from his cousins’ house raving about newly discovered exotica…ham sandwiches! Suddenly ham is the best thing ever.

I never used to buy ham – there are a million other things I’d rather eat than a ham sandwich, unless it’s got brie, and honey mustard, and arugula, and really awesome bread – but now that ham has become a regular feature in our house, I’ve remembered something my mom used to make when I was a kid that I absolutely loved…and totally forgot about until ham came back into my life just now.

Honey fried ham is a fantastically easy treat on its own, but it’s also brilliant when you are woefully baconless and too lazy to run to the store. Get out a skillet, fry up ham slices on both sides, drizzle on a bit of honey, or maple syrup, and bang – you have a sizzling hot, chewy, crispy thin slab of sweet-salty meat that is perfect alongside whatever else you have going on. Way faster than bacon, and no grease.

You really don’t need more instructions, but pictures are fun anyway. Brown up plain old ham in the skillet.

Drizzle on honey or maple syrup – can’t go wrong either way.

A few more seconds for browning. Sugar burns fast, so this is just a quick extra sizzle.

Not much to it – but the ham is transformed.

A natural fit with eggs, of course. But honey fried ham has the saltiness to pair with sweet breakfasts, like pancakes or french toast.

Ham sandwiches during the week, honey fried ham on the weekends. Maybe ham really is the best thing ever.

Honey Fried Ham
It’s hard to beat bacon, but for a change (or when you’re woefully baconless), these glazed ham slices are a salty-sweet breakfast alternative. Quick, less greasy than bacon, and finger-licking good.

Ingredients

• Sliced ham
• Honey or maple syrup
• Cooking oil

Preparation

1. Heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium heat, tilting the pan to glaze the surface lightly. Lay slices of ham in the skillet in a single layer. Turn slices when the bottom starts to brown.
2. Drizzle a small amount of honey or maple syrup over the slices. Turn slices to coat both sides, cooking very briefly to brown (the sugar can burn quickly). Remove from pan and serve.

Notes

• Use more or less honey, depending on the ham you are using and your taste.
• You can use thicker or thinner slices of ham; thicker ones will just need a little more cook time to brown before you add the honey.

Here’s the link to a printable version.