Fried Spam and egg on rice

Loved from Hong Kong to The Philippines, Hawaii and China, Spam may be a divisive food, but it is undeniably delicious. The act of frying slabs of Spam and eating it with rice is a rite of passage for many Chinese kids. For a plant-based alternative, Ominpork is manufacturing plant-based luncheon meat that would be the perfect substitute for this recipe.

Fried Spam and egg on rice. Credit: Tammi Kwok

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Who gets to decide what good and bad food is? Have you ever had someone yuck your yum? Have you read outstanding reviews for a hot, new restaurant and found the food disappointing? 

Hosted by food writer Jess Ho, Bad Taste is a six-part podcast series that will make you reconsider the perception of good taste.

"In Bad Taste, I wanted to explore the complexity of different dishes and let them be their own hero. I wanted to explore the full story behind each dish and see how they make us who we are."

Each episode will analyse a food, trace back its history, and look at its relevance today through the eyes of guests Nathan Lyons, Rosheen Kaul, Bruce Pascoe, Jacob Birch, Alum Choi, Miin Chan, Beź Zewdie, Ruth Gebreyesus, Thi Le and Vien Tran.

Ingredients

• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 1 can Spam, sliced to 1cm thickness
• 4 eggs
• Roasted sesame oil or chilli oil to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash your rice in a colander until the water runs clear, then transfer to a rice cooker and fill to the number 2 water line and cook. Alternatively, use the stovetop absorption method and cook your rice to the packet directions.
2. Once the rice is cooked, fluff the rice using the rice cooker paddle or a fork, and allow it to sit.
3. Preheat a non-stick frypan over medium heat and add the slices of Spam. Cook each side for 1-2 minutes or until crisp. This may need to be done in batches depending on how big your pan is.
4. Once the Spam is fried, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
5. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat, crack your eggs in the same pan, and fry sunny-side up.
6. Serve by scooping rice in a bowl and top with a few slices of fried spam and one egg per person. If you desire, you can finish your dishes with a dash of sesame oil or chilli oil, to taste. 

 

Follow Bad Taste in the SBS Radio app, or wherever you get your podcasts, so you get every episode delivered straight to your device. Like the podcast? Email us at [e-mail].

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Who gets to decide what good and bad food is? Have you ever had someone yuck your yum? Have you read outstanding reviews for a hot, new restaurant and found the food disappointing? 

Hosted by food writer Jess Ho, Bad Taste is a six-part podcast series that will make you reconsider the perception of good taste.

"In Bad Taste, I wanted to explore the complexity of different dishes and let them be their own hero. I wanted to explore the full story behind each dish and see how they make us who we are."

Each episode will analyse a food, trace back its history, and look at its relevance today through the eyes of guests Nathan Lyons, Rosheen Kaul, Bruce Pascoe, Jacob Birch, Alum Choi, Miin Chan, Beź Zewdie, Ruth Gebreyesus, Thi Le and Vien Tran.