Spam Fried Rice - Recipe by Koji Cooks

SPAM FRIED RICE

Way before spam was all the rage, I was making spam fried rice circa 2002 at my house in the jungle on the big island of Hawaii. The spam can be replaced with any number of things or left vegetarian. It is great with shrimp, ham, scallops, or tofu. The veggies can vary seasonally, paying attention to contrasting colors and textures. Authentic fried rice is not bathed in soy sauce; in fact, it often uses none. In this recipe, I use a little as everyone always adds it anyway. The rice should be day-old, but if you cook it with a bit less water, as I did here, you will end up with the necessary slightly firmer rice. A wok, if you have one, does impart a slightly smoky flavor; use only carbon steel woks, no nonstick types.

SPAM FRIED RICE - Recipe (makes a lot!)

Rice: 2 cups uncooked long or extra-long grain rice, rinsed. In a rice cooker, cook the rice with 1.5 cups of water instead of the usual 1.75 cups. Spread on a sheet pan and refrigerate until ready to stir-fry.

vegetable oil

1 can of spam cut in 1/4" cubes

1 carrot and small zucchini cut in 1/4" cubes

1/2 cup each diced red onion and sliced scallion

1/2 cup frozen petite peas

2 teaspoons peeled, grated ginger

3. tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 lightly scrambled eggs

salt and pepper - I use my own Maine chili/sea salt blend

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce - no La Choy!

METHOD

Have everything grouped, range side. I do my fried rice in two batches, so it is easier to stir fry. Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, stir fry the spam until lightly browned, remove from the heat and divide in half. Add one more tablespoon of vegetable oil to the hot wok, add the carrot, zucchini, onion, scallion, peas, and ginger and stir fry for 4 minutes, adjusting heat as needed. Remove from the wok and divide on top of the spam. In the same hot wok, add 1 more tablespoon of vegetable oil, return the divided spam and veggies along with half the rice and briskly stir fry, separating the rice as you flip. Stir in half of the cilantro, half of the scrambled egg, half of the sesame oil, and half of the soy sauce, stir fry briskly until hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Repeat with the remaining half of everything.

KOJI