Direct answer: For crispy Spam fried rice, dice the Spam small, fry it until browned, scramble in an egg, add cold cooked rice, then season with soy sauce and finish with spring onions and sweetcorn.
Spam fried rice is cheap, filling and very fast when you already have cold rice. The key is to crisp the Spam first, then fry the rice hard enough that it separates instead of steaming.
Serves 2 to 4, depending on sides. Time: about 20 to 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 250g cold cooked rice
- 1/2 tin Spam, diced small
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 spring onions, sliced
- 100g sweetcorn, drained or frozen
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil, optional
- White pepper or black pepper
- Chilli crisp or sriracha, optional
Method
- Break up the cold rice with your fingers or a fork so there are no large clumps.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the diced Spam and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until crisp at the edges.
- Push the Spam to one side. Pour in the beaten egg and scramble it until just set.
- Add the rice and sweetcorn. Fry over a high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring and pressing the rice into the pan.
- Add the soy sauce around the edge of the pan so it sizzles, then toss everything together.
- Stir through the spring onions and sesame oil if using. Serve hot with chilli crisp or sriracha.
Notes
Cold rice fries better than fresh rice because it is drier. If you only have fresh rice, spread it on a tray and let it steam dry for 10 minutes. Spam is salty, so taste before adding extra salt.
Storage: Cool leftovers quickly, keep them covered in the fridge, and eat within 2 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout, and do not reheat rice more than once.