pineapple fried rice in a pineapple

Adam and I drove down to Atlanta last Friday for the weekend. We walked around the city, saw people and llamas in leprechaun hats, and quickly discovered it's a city with a lot of good food.

On the drive back, we agreed that the absolute best dish we had was a pineapple fried rice dish we ate at Poor Calvin's. They served it in a pineapple (which obviously gets them bonus points) and it was completely delicious, with unexpected elements and the perfect savory-sweet balance.

This recipe is inspired by that dish, but not identical. It's packed with vegetables, cooked in coconut oil, and made with brown rice, so it's not just crazy good; it's also crazy good for you. And now I say unto you, in the words of my uncle: allez cuisine!

Pineapple Fried Rice in a Pineapple 
Serves 4 as an entree, 6-8 as a side

4 cups cooked long-grain brown rice, 1-2 days old*
1 pineapple
Coconut oil (you could also use canola)
1/2 lb fresh raw shrimp
Sesame oil
1/2 cup raw unsalted whole cashews
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tbsp ginger, minced**
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
1/4 yellow onion
1-2 large leaves kale, stem removed and cut into 1" pieces
1/4 head red cabbage, shredded
1-2 eggs
1 tsp brown sugar
Generous pinch red pepper flakes
Scant 1/4 cup soy sauce
Scant 1/4 cup fish sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bean sprouts
Fresh cilantro


Shell and devein the shrimp, if they're not already.

Cut the pineapple in half, including the top, and scoop out the fruit in one side, forming a bowl. Cut fruit into bite-sized pieces, being sure to remove the core. If you like a lot of pineapple in your fried rice, feel free to cut up the other half and include it, otherwise, set aside for another use.

Add a small amount of sesame oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, cook golden raisins for about 5 minutes until heated through and beginning to brown. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Add cashews to hot pan and toast for 5-10 minutes, until browned and slightly softened. Set aside on paper towel with raisins.

In a wok, add a spoonful of coconut oil and let it melt. When hot, add leek, onion, garlic, and ginger, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula. Cook for five minutes until fragrant.

Add cabbage and kale to the wok. Mix thoroughly into the aromatics, and let cook for 3 minutes. Add a lid to cover and steam for a few minutes more, until kale is bright and cabbage has begun to soften.

Push vegetables to one side and crack your egg/s into the exposed bottom of the wok. Let cook for a minute to set, then scramble with your spatula and continue to mix til egg is cooked. Stir into vegetables.

Pour soy sauce and fish sauce into the wok. Add brown sugar, a dash of sesame oil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly. Add pineapple to wok and let cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you cook the shrimp.

Add coconut oil to the skillet you used for the cashews, and cook shrimp; they should take only 1-2 minutes per side. When done, add to wok.

Once shrimp has been added to the wok, add the rice. Stir and cook until hot. Remove from heat and stir in cashews, golden raisins, and bean sprouts.

Pile into hollowed pineapple to serve, and finish with a generous amount of fresh cilantro.

*Yes, you do have to use old rice. This is one of those dishes that requires at least 24 hours of foresight.

**I learned a couple years ago that peeling ginger is unnecessary, and I've never done it since; the taste isn't affected, and you save yourself some time. Win-win.