Guest post: Chef Katie Chin's Pineapple Fried Rice

I have said before that I am rich with friends, and particularly friends who can cook.  I suspect this may be related to my gluttony. I am fortunate that my friend, and Karaoke Queen, Chef Katie Chin, whose new book is Everyday Thai Cooking has agreed to share one of her scrumptious recipes here. -- MsW:

More here

Chef Katie says: Pineapple Fried Rice is one of my favorite recipes from my new cookbook, "Everyday Thai Cooking."  The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity.  It takes just a couple of minutes to make but its flavors are sublime.   The other amazing thing about this recipe is you can use almost any leftover meat or seafood for an instant one-pot meal.  Wondering what to do with last night’s leftover roast chicken?  Dice it up and throw it in.  I love the juicy bits of fresh pineapple along with the fresh spikes of cilantro and mint.  It all comes together with a kick of Thai chili.  When I think of women like Miss Whistle who throw amazing dinner parties, I think about how hectic their lives are and they still manage to entertain in style.  This is the perfect dish for entertaining because you can make it in advance and just warm it up when your guests arrive.  The best part is that it's served in a fresh pineapple shell and becomes the hit of any dinner party.

Ridiculously cute, right?

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Pineapple Fried Rice

SERVES 4–6 AS PART OF A MULTI-COURSE MEAL

PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOKING TIME: 10 MINUTES

1 whole pineapple

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt, divided

Pinch of ground white pepper

2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small shallot, finely sliced

1 fresh hot red or green chili, preferably Thai (deseeded if you prefer less heat), finely sliced

3 cups (450 g) cooked and chilled Thai jasmine rice

2 tablespoons Rufina Patis fish sauce (nam pla)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 cup (150 g) cubed cooked chicken breast

1 cup (150 g) cubed cooked shrimp 

½ cup (73 g) fresh or thawed frozen peas

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) plus more for garnish

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

1.     Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise and cut the fruit from the middle, leaving shell halves intact. Cut out the eyes and core. Set the shell halves aside. Dice the fruit. Dry the diced pineapple with paper towels and set aside.

2.     In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the pinch of pepper.

3.     Heat ½ of the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook eggs, stirring, until set but still moist. Transfer eggs to a plate. Wash and thoroughly dry the wok or skillet.

4.     Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots and chili and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, chicken, shrimp, peas, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. Add the reserved eggs, pineapple, fresh coriander leaves, and mint; stir-fry for 30 seconds.

5.     Scoop the fried rice into the pineapple shells and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

COOK’S NOTE: If you dice the pineapple ahead of time, rinse the pineapple shells with boiling water and dry with paper towels before serving.

How cute is this? Particularly the way that it's served in the scooped out pineapple. Feels very Trader Vics...in fact might work well with umbrella'd cocktails. -- Ms. W

More posts from Chef Katie here.