Cajun Rice Dressing
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 25, 2018
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Two cups of uncooked long-grain white rice will yield about 6 cups once cooked. You can find chicken livers in the refrigerated meat section of your supermarket or at your local butcher shop. If you prefer, you can use a food processor to chop the chicken livers; it will take about six pulses to finely chop them. For a spicier dish, use the larger amount of cayenne pepper.
Instructions
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until almost crispy, about 3 minutes.
- Add bell peppers, onions, celery, half of scallions, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon pepper, and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add pork, chicken livers, paprika, granulated garlic, celery salt, cayenne, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook, breaking up meat with spoon, until mixture begins to fry in its own fat and fond develops on bottom of pot, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in remaining scallions and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
- Off heat, add rice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot sauce.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We first encountered cajun rice dressing—an intensely flavorful side dish of rice and ground meat—at the Cochon de Lait Festival in Mansura, Louisiana. As with the version we devoured in Mansura, we began our dressing by sautéing the holy trinity of Cajun and Creole cooking (onions, celery, and green peppers) along with some butter and bacon until the vegetables had softened. To that we added a pound of ground pork and half a pound of chopped chicken livers (just enough for a restrained savory boost), plus some garlic, scallions, and thyme. After browning this mix for a flavorful fond, we deglazed the pot with 3 cups of chicken broth and stirred in 6 cups of cooked rice. This Louisiana specialty is at home at small, homey dinners and big gatherings alike—at any time of the year.
Before You Begin
Two cups of uncooked long-grain white rice will yield about 6 cups once cooked. You can find chicken livers in the refrigerated meat section of your supermarket or at your local butcher shop. If you prefer, you can use a food processor to chop the chicken livers; it will take about six pulses to finely chop them. For a spicier dish, use the larger amount of cayenne pepper.
Instructions
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until almost crispy, about 3 minutes.
- Add bell peppers, onions, celery, half of scallions, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon pepper, and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add pork, chicken livers, paprika, granulated garlic, celery salt, cayenne, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook, breaking up meat with spoon, until mixture begins to fry in its own fat and fond develops on bottom of pot, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in remaining scallions and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
- Off heat, add rice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot sauce.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Keep Exploring
0 Comments