Teriyaki SPAM & Egg Scramble
Inspired by mini grilled skewers I made for New Year’s Eve hors d'oeuvres, this brunch is a bright way to start any morning. Following my “around the world” theme for an at-home NYE celebration, I looked to find some new ingredients that were familiar to me but I’ve never used before. One of my first thoughts was SPAM (destination: Hawaii) but after a little research I learned that the salty canned product is used in even more cuisines than I originally thought.
I loved the combination of ingredients I used on my skewers. Sweet pineapple, sharp red onion, crisp bell pepper, and salty SPAM all came together in grilled and caramelized goodness. I wanted to make a dish that was more complete and filling, but started with these core elements. Brunch seemed like the best meal choice. After scrolling through tons of recipes and inspiration, I found eggs as a recurring theme as a sidekick to SPAM. And it was a safer choice, too; you can’t really go wrong with eggs in the morning.
This isn’t a full recipe, but some thought-starters of sorts. Here’s a simple overview of what I did and how to recreate this dish. Improvise with whatever’s on hand, it’ll be quite forgiving.
Brunch isn’t complete without coffee. Learn how to make a Chemex with my step-by-step guide.
Here’s how to make it (key ingredients in bold):
Start by making plain jasmine rice; this will take the longest, approx. 20 minutes stovetop. You’ll spruce it up later.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the ingredients. I cubed up SPAM, green bell peppers, and pineapple. I also chopped some red onion and minced a bit of garlic.
When the rice has about 10 minutes left, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. I didn’t add any oil, as the SPAM contains quite a bit, but a dash wouldn't hurt. First cook the garlic and red onion until fragrant. Just before browning, add the SPAM, bell pepper, and pineapple.
Cook this mixture, stirring frequently, until evenly golden brown and slightly crispy. I deglazed the pan once with rice vinegar—this loosens up all those stuck on flavor bits.
Back to the rice. Add a pinch of salt, a big squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a handful of chopped cilantro. Give it a fluff and it’s ready.
Last up, the eggs. I combined a few eggs with some heavy cream and salt for a soft, fluffy scramble.
For plating, add a few big scoops of rice topped with scrambled eggs and the pan fried SPAM mixture. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce and add some freshly chopped chives for color. Enjoy!
Sidenote: if you’ve never been to the SPAM website, check it out for recipes and tips. I was surprised at what I could find starting there.