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Wild and Dirty Rice

Plain ole dirty rice is a good thing. Add the earthy, nutty taste and toothsome texture of wild rice, and you have something even better.

Cooks' Note

When cooking rice, I find that covering the surface of the water with a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper cut to fit the shape of the pot helps keep the rice moist and makes it cook more evenly. For more moisture and a richer flavor, stir in a cup of diced sautéed or roasted eggplant when you add the stock.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 cup wild rice
1/2 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons butter, oil, or bacon fat
1 small onion, diced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound chicken or duck livers, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock (p. 206)
1 teaspoon Worcerstershire sauce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 small bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Hot sauce
1/2 bunch scallions, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a 2-quart saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the wild rice, reduce the heat, and simmer covered for 30–40 minutes, until the grains are tender and the ends have just slightly popped. Drain the rice in a colander and set aside.

    Step 2

    While the rice is cooking, cook the ground pork in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring to break up any clumps, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain the excess fat and set aside.

    Step 3

    Melt the butter in a wide, shallow skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, green and red peppers, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until softened, 5–7 minutes. Add the livers and cooked pork and cook, stirring, until the livers are browned. Stir in the white rice, Chicken Stock, Worcestershire, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes, until the rice is tender. Stir in the wild rice and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. To serve, remove the bay leaf, season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, and stir in the chopped scallions.

From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf. Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook. Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.
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