Dirty Rice

Name: Dirty Rice
Yield: feeds 4 as a main course or 8 as a side dish or stuffing portion
Ingredients: 1/3 cup olive oil; 2 cups chopped onion; 1 cup chopped green pepper; 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced; Kosher salt and black pepper; 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 2-inch cubes; 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage; 1/4 pound leftover ham, cut in strips or cubes (about 1 cup); 1/4 pound leftover meat of any kind, shredded or diced (about 1 cup); 1/2 pound chicken livers, puréed in a food processor; 3 cups chicken broth or stock (to make your own, see page 168); 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 bay leaf; 1 1/2 cups parboiled long-grain rice (preferably Uncle Ben’s)

January 24, 2012

This is the ultimate “anything goes” dish. All you need is some sausage and any kind of raw or cooked meat you might have on hand. We use a tasty mix of sausage, chicken, pulled pork, and ham. The only thing you can’t skip are the chicken livers. That’s what makes Dirty Rice dirty and gives it its deep, rich flavor. We’ve been servin’ it every Wednesday as a featured side, and we’ve found that Central New Yorkers really appreciate this frugal New Orleans specialty. It’s also good as a stuffing for Cornish hens, pork chops, or turkey.

Recipe notes

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