HAWAIIAN STYLE FRIED RICE RECIPE

Aloha!

You may have noticed that I have spent a lot of time lately telling you all about my adventures on the island of Bermuda. I think it made me a little sentimental and reminiscent about the years I spent living in Hawaii, where I met my husband Brad. In what seems like another lifetime, I lived on the island of Oahu. After graduating from the University of Hawaii with a degree in Education, I got a job teaching Home Economics at Campbell High School in Ewa Beach. It was a miracle I got hired at a time when there were hundreds of school teachers out of work due to a glut of teachers. Frankly, as a haole from the mainland who was relatively fresh-off-the boat, I think I got the job at a school where 99% of the teachers were locals as a form of reverse integration and affirmative action. Hey, whatever works!

My recipe repertoire at the time did not include a lot of foods popular on the islands. So, in an effort to learn some traditional island recipes to teach my students, I started to collect some favorites from my fellow Campbell High School Home Ec teachers. One of the first I learned to make was a Hawaiian Style Fried Rice recipe. I’ve been making it ever since and it is a favorite of my children.

It’s a quick and easy recipe to whip up using things that I usually have on hand. Hawaiians make it with their leftover rice, which is a staple in every Hawaiian household. It also contains Spam! Yes, you heard me correctly, the recipe calls for Spam, which, believe it or not, is very widely consumed in the islands. In fact, the population of Hawaii consumes more Spam than any other state in the union. The true root of the island’s love for SPAM products goes back to World War II when the luncheon meat was served to GIs. By the end of the war, SPAM products were adopted into the local culture and its cuisine. And it happens to be a vital ingredient in my Hawaiian Style Fried Rice Recipe.

So let me show you how I make this delicious dish, which I usually serve as a main course accompanied by a green salad. Start with 1/2 pound of bacon. I keep my bacon in the freezer. This way I always have it on hand, plus when it’s frozen it’s easy to cut in long thin slices down the side, resulting in small diced up pieces just right for fried rice. Throw the strips of frozen bacon in a large frying pan and move it around with a wooden utensil, separating the bacon into small pieces.

While the bacon fries over medium heat, prepare your Spam. Open a 12 oz. can of Spam and cut it into 1/4 inch slices. Then cut the slices into 1/4″ strips. Finally, cut the strips into small cubes.

Once the bacon bits become crispy and you have cooked out or crisped up most of the fat, push it to one side of the pan and drain off all but a couple of tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Add the cubed Spam to the pan and saute it until it just begins to brown. Remove the bacon and Spam from the pan and set it aside for later.

In the meantime you need to prepare some white rice, that is unless you are not making this Hawaiian Style Fried Rice Recipe to use up leftover rice. In any case, this is how I prepare enough rice for this recipe. Place 4 cups of water into a medium size saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons butter to the water and bring it to a boil.  Add 2 cups of Long Grain White Rice to the boiling water, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook covered, without removing the lid for approximately 20 minutes until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is fork tender. This will result in about 4 cups of cooked rice.

Now lets get back to preparing the fried rice. Gather the following ingredients:

• 4 Large Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Large Carrot, Diced
• 3 Large Whole Eggs, Beaten
• 1-1/2 Cup Frozen Green Peas or Edamame
• 4 Green Onions, White & Green Parts, Diced

Add the garlic to the frying pan in which you cooked the bacon & Spam. There should be a small amount of fat remaining in the pan in which you will saute the remaining ingredients and deglaze the pan of all those nice pan drippings. Cook the garlic for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Do not let it brown.

Next add the diced carrots…

and the frozen peas.

Saute until the peas are heated through and the carrots are al dente.

By the way, in recent years I have started to replace the peas with edamame. I buy these 5 ounce bags in a multi pack in the freezer section of my grocery store. They are healthy and delicious and I like the texture they add to the fried rice. So, it’s your choice, peas or edamame.

Now, push the vegetables to the side of the pan…

and add the beaten up eggs.

Move the eggs around in the pan to scramble them.

Once the eggs are lightly cooked, mix them in with the vegetables.

Sprinkle on a 1/2 teaspoon of coarse ground pepper.

Add the bacon & Spam back into the pan and gently mix to combine.

Finally, add the cooked rice to the other ingredients in the pan.

Pour in 1/4 cup of soy sauce. Mix to incorporate.

Garnish with the diced green onions and serve. Let me know how you like it!

HAWAIIAN STYLE FRIED RICE RECIPE

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

This recipe is one I learned while working in Hawaii as a high school Home Ec. teacher. Because it is very hearty, I serve it as a main dish along with a green salad. It's a family favorite, quick and easy to make with staple ingredients I generally have on hand.

Author: Celia Becker @ After Orange County

Recipe type: Main or Side Dish

Cuisine: Hawaiian

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• To Make The Rice
• 4 Cups Water
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Cups Long Grain White Rice
• To Make The Fried Rice
• ½ Lb Bacon, cut into ½ cubes
• 12 oz. can Spam, cut into ¼" cubes
• 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Large Carrot, Diced
• 3 Large Whole Eggs, Beaten
• ½ Teaspoon Coarse Ground Pepper
• 1-1/2 Cup Frozen Green Peas or Edamame
• ¼ Cup Soy Sauce
• 4 Green Onions, White & Green Parts, Diced

Instructions

1. To Make The Rice
2. Place water into a medium size saucepan.
3. Add salt and butter and bring it to a boil.
4. Add rice to the boiling water, cover and reduce the heat to low.
5. Cook covered, without removing the lid for approximately 20 minutes until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is fork tender.
6. This will result in about 4 cups of cooked rice.
7. To Make The Fried Rice
8. In a large frying pan fry the bacon until you have cooked out or crisped up most of the fat.
9. Push it to one side of the pan and drain off all but a couple tablespoons of the bacon fat.
10. Add the Spam to the pan and saute it until it just begins to brown.
11. Remove the bacon and spam from the pan and set it aside for later.
12. Add the garlic to the frying pan in which you cooked the bacon & Spam.
13. Cook the garlic for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Do not let it brown.
14. Add the diced carrots & the frozen peas or edamame.
15. Saute until the peas/edamame are heated through and the carrots are al dente.
16. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the beaten eggs.
17. Move the eggs around in the pan to scramble them. Sprinkle on coarse ground pepper.
18. Once the eggs are lightly cooked mix them in with the vegetables.
19. Add the bacon & Spam back into the pan and gently mix to combine.
20. Add the cooked rice to the other ingredients in the pan, pour in the soy sauce and mix to incorporate.
21. Garnish with the diced green onions and serve.

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So there you have it: HAWAIIAN STYLE FRIED RICE RECIPE

By the way, this is not a sponsored post. I just love sharing the things I like.