Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Cold day-old jasmine rice hits a screaming-hot wok with hard-drained pineapple, sweet-savory shrimp, and a splash of fish sauce and soy. The trick is sequencing: the shrimp get 90 seconds alone, come out of the pan, and go back in at the very end so they stay plump instead of turning to rubber. Twenty minutes, one pan, and a takeout-beating plate of rice with crisp-edged grains and caramelized pineapple in every bite.

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp (26/30), peeled and deveined, tails off
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp curry powder (optional, for color and warmth)

• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, cold and at least 1 day old
• 1 20-oz can pineapple chunks in juice, drained very well
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 4 scallions, whites and greens separated, thinly sliced

• 1/3 cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, torn
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Break up the cold rice with your fingers on a sheet pan until there are no clumps left; every grain should be separate. Leave it out while you prep everything else so the surface dries slightly.
2. Drain the pineapple in a sieve, then turn the chunks out onto a double layer of paper towels. Press firmly with more paper towels and blot until they feel barely damp — this is the difference between fried rice and steamed rice. Cut any large chunks into 1/2-inch pieces. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drained juice.
3. Pat the shrimp very dry and toss in a bowl with the cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, salt, and white pepper. Let sit 10 minutes.
4. Whisk the sauce ingredients together with the reserved 2 tablespoons pineapple juice in a small bowl. Set it and all your prepped vegetables next to the stove — once cooking starts, there is no time to chop.
5. Heat a 14-inch carbon steel wok or your largest skillet over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes on contact, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirl, and add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook undisturbed 60 seconds, flip, and cook 30 to 45 seconds more, just until opaque at the edges and barely curled. Transfer to a plate — they will finish cooking later.
6. Add 1 more tablespoon oil, pour in the beaten eggs, and let them set for 15 seconds. Scramble in large soft curds for 30 seconds, then scrape onto the shrimp plate while still slightly glossy.
7. Add the last tablespoon oil. Stir-fry the onion, bell pepper, and scallion whites over high heat for 2 minutes until the onion edges char lightly. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant.
8. Push the vegetables to one side and add the blotted pineapple to the bare surface. Let it sit 90 seconds without stirring so it caramelizes and picks up a little color, then stir it into the vegetables.
9. Add the rice and the peas and carrots. Press the rice against the pan with your spatula, then flip and toss, repeating for 3 to 4 minutes until the grains are hot, loose, and starting to pop and crackle against the metal.
10. Drizzle the sauce around the edge of the pan rather than into the center so it sizzles and caramelizes on contact. Toss hard for 1 minute until every grain is evenly coated and no wet patches remain.
11. Return the shrimp and eggs to the pan along with any juices, breaking the eggs into bite-size pieces. Fold gently — do not stir aggressively — for 45 seconds, just to reheat the shrimp through.
12. Kill the heat, fold in the scallion greens and cashews, and taste for salt. Pile onto plates, scatter with cilantro, and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the top.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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