Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Rice and Base
- 1 pineapple, whole, ripe
- 600 g jasmine rice, cooked and chilled
- 30 ml cooking oil, neutral oil like canola or peanut
Proteins
- 250 g chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, diced into 1.5cm cubes
- 100 g bacon, thick-cut, chopped
Aromatics and Vegetables
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 50 g onion, diced
- 80 g red bell pepper, diced
- 50 g green peas, frozen, thawed
- 20 g green onions, thinly sliced
Seasonings and Garnish
- 10 g curry powder, yellow Thai or Madras style
- 15 ml fish sauce
- 15 ml soy sauce, light soy sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 10 g sugar, white or palm sugar
- 2 g white pepper, finely ground
- 60 g cashews, unsalted, roasted
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Slice the whole pineapple in half lengthwise with a chef knife. Using a paring knife and a spoon, carefully hollow out the flesh, leaving a 1.5 cm thick wall to preserve the shell structure. Dice the extracted pineapple flesh to yield approximately 200g. Set the shells and diced fruit aside.
In a small bowl, use a whisk to combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Mix vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved.
On a dedicated plastic cutting board to prevent cross-contamination, dice the raw chicken thighs. Wash your hands, the knife, and the cutting board immediately with hot soapy water after handling the raw poultry.
Place a wok over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy and the fat has thoroughly rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and leave the rendered fat in the wok.
Increase the wok heat to high, approximately 200°C/392°F. Add the diced chicken to the hot bacon fat. Stir-fry constantly until browned on the outside and safely cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 74°C/165°F. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
If the wok is dry, pour in the cooking oil. Add the minced garlic, diced onion, and diced red bell pepper. Sauté continuously until fragrant and the onions begin to turn translucent.
Sprinkle the curry powder evenly over the aromatics and toast briefly to release its essential oils. Immediately add the chilled, day-old jasmine rice. Toss vigorously with a spatula, breaking up any clumps, until the rice grains are separated, evenly coated with the spices, and heated through.
Pour the prepared sauce mixture over the rice. Return the cooked chicken and crispy bacon to the wok, then add the diced pineapple, roasted cashews, and green peas. Toss everything together rapidly for two minutes until all ingredients are fully incorporated and piping hot.
Remove the wok from the heat and stir in the sliced green onions. Scoop the hot fried rice generously into the reserved hollowed pineapple shells and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- For the absolute best texture, always use day-old jasmine rice. The refrigeration process allows the starches to retrograde, firming up the grains so they can withstand intense wok heat without turning to mush.
- Rendering the bacon slowly is crucial. This extracts maximum smoky fat, which acts as the foundational flavor base for frying the chicken and toasting the curry spices.
- Curry powder benefits enormously from blooming in hot oil. Adding it to the hot aromatics right before the rice releases fat-soluble aromatic compounds that would otherwise remain dormant.
- When selecting a pineapple, look for a vibrant golden color starting at the base and a sweet aroma at the stem. A ripe pineapple guarantees the necessary natural sugars to balance the salty, savory elements of the dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store leftover rice in an airtight container separately from the pineapple shell.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze in airtight bags. Pineapple pieces may soften slightly upon thawing.
Reheating: Stir-fry in a hot skillet with a splash of water, or microwave covered with a damp paper towel.
