Thai Style Pineapple Fried Rice 泰式菠蘿炒飯

Blanch the almonds in a small saucepan of enough boiling water to cover. Add sugar and a pinch of salt and cook for about 2 minutes or until liquid is slightly thickened. Drain dry and leave to cool.

Rinse the shrimps and combine with the egg white, a pinch of salt, and sesame oil. Let marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1/3 cup vegetable oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Deep-fry the almonds until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Scoop the almonds onto a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Leave to cool. (Helpful tip: To get crispy almonds, make sure that the cooked almonds are completely cooled before deep-frying.)

Using the same hot oil, scald the shrimps briefly on both sides. Remove from the heat, transfer onto a plate using a slotted spoon and set aside.

Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, being sure to also cut through the pineapple top. If desired, make the cut more towards one side to give you a larger half to fill with rice later. Carve the pineapple meat around the edges of the skin. Make vertical and horizontal cuts into the meat, being careful not to puncture the pineapple skin. Using a large spoon, scoop out the pineapple meat leaving you with a hollow pineapple half to fill with rice. Cut about 1/4 cup of the scooped-out pineapple flesh in a small dice. Set aside.

Wash and thinly dice the Chinese broccoli stems. Blanch in a small saucepan containing enough boiling water to cover. Drain dry and set aside.

In a wok or a nonstick frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat and fry the rice until separated. Add 2 teaspoons salt, tomato sauce, ketchup, and pepper. Mix and fry well.

Add the shrimps, Chinese broccoli, ham, and pineapple, and stir well. Make a well in the fried rice and add the egg, breaking the yolk. Stir fry well until egg is cooked.

Dish the fried rice into the pineapple skin and scatter pork floss and almonds on top. Serve immediately.