[Lifestyle] Spam is back! Chefs on their favourite recipes from katsu curry to Spam fries with cheesy kimchi sauce

[BirSaNN]

Sales of the tinned meat are on the rise as households tighten their belts. But you can do more with it than you thought

 

 

There is at least one hint of a silver lining to the cost of living crisis. That’s right, Spam is back. According to Waitrose, sales are up 36% this year, as consumers turn their backs on more expensive fresh meat.

But Spam – tinned cooked pork – need not be a compromise. Thanks to American GIs, who introduced it during the second world war to the Asia-Pacific nations, the product has become a mainstay of their cuisine. During the festival of Chuseok, South Korean supermarkets brim with elaborate Spam gift sets. In 2014, Burger King in Japan introduced a Spam and cheese burger. The biggest consumers of Spam globally are the people of the tiny Pacific island of Guam; not only do they each eat on average 16 tins a year, but Spam produces a special variety just for islanders.

Basically, you can do more with a tin of Spam than you might have thought. Here, top chefs and food experts explain how they like to use it.

Spam french fries with cheesy kimchi dipping sauce
Judy Joo, Seoul Bird, London

 

 

Spam has a long, beloved history in Korea because of the war. My mum used to feed me fried Spam and eggs for breakfast, and rice porridge studded with cubes of Spam as an after-school snack.

This is a recipe from my book Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food. To make the cheesy kimchi dipping sauce, whisk together 1 tbsp cornflour and 340ml evaporated milk in a small saucepan over a low heat until smooth. Turn up the heat. Once the mixture has thickened and is bubbling, reduce the heat to low and stir in 125g grated cheddar and 3 to 4 tbsp chopped cabbage kimchi. Cook until smooth and velvety. Remove from heat, and keep in a warm place.

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Meanwhile, cut a block of Spam lengthways into six slices, and cut each slice into four even matchsticks. Set up three dipping stations: 80g flour, two beaten eggs, and 160g panko breadcrumbs. Coat the Spam sticks with each in turn. Heat 10cm of oil in a wide heavy-based saucepan to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Working in small batches, fry the Spam sticks until golden brown. Place on a rack to drain the oil. Serve immediately with the cheesy kimchi dipping sauce on the side.

 

link and photo : https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/nov/07/spam-is-back-chefs-on-their-favourite-recipes-from-katsu-curry-to-spam-fries-with-cheesy-kimchi-sauce

Edited November 8, 2022 by BirSaNN