Campfire Skillet Indonesian Nasi Goreng with Sweet Corn and Fried Farm Eggs

Build a campfire and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals, then set a grill grate about 6 inches above them. If cooking at home, use a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, chilled overnight
• 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil, divided
• 4 large farm eggs
• 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 red chilies, seeded and minced
• 2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels, cut from 3 farmers-market ears
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste or 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 small cucumber, sliced, and 1 lime cut into wedges, to serve
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced, plus fried shallots for topping

Instructions

1. Build a campfire and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals, then set a grill grate about 6 inches above them. If cooking at home, use a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Spread the chilled rice on a plate and break up any clumps with your fingers so every grain separates. Cold day-old rice is essential; freshly cooked rice will steam into mush.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet and fry the eggs one or two at a time until the whites are crisp and lacy at the edges but the yolks stay soft. Slide onto a plate and cover to keep warm.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet, then the shallots, garlic and chilies. Stir constantly for about 90 seconds until fragrant and just beginning to color.
5. Stir in the shrimp paste and mash it into the oil until it dissolves and smells toasty, about 30 seconds.
6. Add the sweet corn and green beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing often, until the corn is bright and blistered in spots and the beans are crisp-tender.
7. Add the rice and toss to coat in the oil, pressing it against the hot skillet between tosses so some grains catch and crisp. Cook 4 to 5 minutes.
8. Pour in the kecap manis and soy sauce and toss until the rice is evenly glossy and mahogany-colored, another 2 minutes. Taste and add a splash more soy if needed.
9. Fold in most of the scallions, then top each portion with a fried egg, a scatter of fried shallots and the remaining scallions.
10. Serve straight from the skillet with cucumber slices and a lime wedge to squeeze over the top.
11. Nasi goreng is Indonesia's national breakfast — a thrifty dish born from the practical habit of frying yesterday's rice so nothing goes to waste. Traditionally it is sold from roadside warungs and pushcarts before dawn, which makes it perfectly suited to campfire cooking: everything comes together in one pan, the ingredients travel well in a cooler, and the smoky bite from live coals only deepens the caramel notes of the kecap manis. Peak-August corn and green beans from a roadside farm stand turn a pantry dish into something that tastes distinctly of late summer.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 520 kcal
• Protein: 16g
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 72g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 9g
• Sodium: 780mg