This recipe converted my kimchi-averse mum, who now suspects that she may actually be fond of the fermented vegetable. It's honestly hard to go wrong with this. Charred rice (the perfect use for overnight rice), golden cubes of spam, the aged complexity of kimchi, umami from fish and light sauce, and everything tied together with the richness of a little butter, which also cuts through the acidity of the kimchi. All these components coming together to create so much complexity in flavour, in under half an hour.

Ingredients

• 300g cooked rice, preferably overnight

• 150g spam, cubed

• 15g butter, unsalted

• 130g kimchi, chopped into chunks

• 2 to 3 Tablespoon kimchi juices

• 2 teaspoon fish sauce

• 1.5 teaspoon light soy

• 15g unsalted butter

• Salt,to taste

• Sesame oil

• Spring onions, sliced

• Nori strips, to serve

• Fried egg, to serve

• Cooking oil, as needed

Directions

• Heat up a couple tablespoons of oil in your pan over medium-high heat. Fry a couple of sunny side ups to top the fried rice with. Set aside.

• In the same pan, over medium-low heat, add in your spam cubes. When they're golden brown, push the spam to the side, and add in your chopped up kimchi. Fry everything for 1 to 2 minutes.

• Crank the heat up to high and add in your rice, tossing and mixing everything together.

• Add your light soy, fish sauce, and the kimchi juice. Continue tossing and turning over high heat, until the rice is lightly charred.

• Add in your knob of butter, and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning. If it isn't salty enough, add a touch more light soy or salt.

• Once you're happy with how it tastes, sprinkle in your nori strips and spring onions.

• Top with a sunny side up, more spring onions, nori, or sesame seeds. Serve.