Black Pepper Bacon Pineapple Fried Rice

Who doesn’t love ham and pineapple pizza? Hawaiian is one of my favorite pizza flavors, and I can’t get enough of it, so a bacon and pineapple fried rice is the next best thing. The black pepper helps to add a bit of heat and spice to complement the smokiness of the bacon, and the sweetness of the pineapple. For those who are skeptical about pineapple in fried rice, it’s a staple dish, and hails from the Yunnan region in China.

If you're vegan, you can lose the bacon and instead wok-fry some rehydrated cubed dried Chinese mushrooms, which are a great textured, earthy-smoky substitute.

Wok On by Ching-He Huang

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil

• 1inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

• 5oz smoked thick-cut bacon, diced

• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

• pinch of ground black pepper

• 6 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced into 3/8-inch strips

• 2 1/4 cups cooked jasmine rice

• 2 tablespoons tamari or low-sodium light soy sauce

• 3/4 cup finely diced fresh pineapple flesh

• 1—2 scallions, sliced on a deep diagonal, to garnish

To serve

• sriracha chili sauce

• a few lime wedges (optional)

Directions

Heat a wok over high heat until smoking, add the canola oil, and give it a swirl. Add the ginger, and stir-fry for 5 seconds, then add the diced bacon, and stir-fry for 1 minute to caramelize it around the edges. Season with the dark soy sauce and black pepper, and toss well. Add the mushrooms and wok-fry together for 30 seconds.

Tip in the cooked rice, season with the tamari or light soy sauce, then add the pineapple, and stir gently to mix well. Garnish with the scallions, and serve with some sriracha chili sauce. For an extra zing, and a truly tropical taste, you can squeeze some lime juice over, if you like.