Spam, the canned pork that many people enjoy as a breakfast staple, often appears as thick pan-fried slabs. Here, it takes a different form: grated and combined with store-bought shredded potatoes, then given a kick with chili crisp. The mixture is pressed into a compact, pizza-like round and air-fried until it turns a beautiful golden brown and crispy. Cut into wedges and serve hot with fried eggs for a playful take on ham and eggs.
Info
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 6 ounces less-sodium Spam (about half of a standard can)
- 6 ounces bagged frozen shredded hash browns (about 2 cups), thawed
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oil from a jar of chili crisp, plus additional oil with the crispy bits for drizzling (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 large egg white
- Kewpie mayonnaise (Japanese-style mayonnaise), for drizzling
- Thinly sliced scallions, for sprinkling
- Fried eggs, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Cut a piece of parchment paper into a roughly 9-inch round. Spray the round with cooking spray and set aside.
- Grate the Spam on the large holes of a box grater. Transfer the grated Spam to a large bowl. Add the hash browns, mozzarella, chili crisp oil, granulated garlic, and onion powder. Use your hands to mix everything together. Add the egg white and mix again until well combined (you will have about 2 1/2 cups of hash).
- Scoop the hash mixture into the center of the parchment round, then use your hands to press and pack it into a roughly 8- to 8 1/2-inch round (it should be a little less than 1/2 inch thick).
- Set a 6-quart (or larger) air fryer to 375 degrees F. Pick up the hash and parchment from underneath with your hands and carefully place it in the air fryer basket. Cook until the top of the hash is set and lightly browned in spots, about 15 minutes. Using a large wide spatula, flip the hash, carefully peel away the parchment paper (some of the hash will come off on the paper and that’s okay), and continue cooking until the second side is golden brown and crispy, about 15 additional minutes.
- Use the large spatula to remove the hash and place it on a large plate. Drizzle with Kewpie mayonnaise and chili crisp, then sprinkle with sliced scallions. Use kitchen shears to cut it into 8 wedges and serve with fried eggs if using.
Notes
For a less spicy version, replace the chili oil in the hash mixture with a neutral oil such as avocado or canola oil. To make up for the crunch of the chili crisp on top, drizzle the hash with a little toasted sesame oil and sprinkle with store-bought furikake and/or fried shallots.
