One-Pan Cajun Dirty Rice

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The Louisiana steakhouse side that outshines the entrée: the trinity of onion, bell pepper and celery sweated down in sausage fat, finely minced chicken livers browned until they perfume the whole pot, and long-grain rice simmered right in the pan so every grain drinks up the stock. One skillet, pantry spices, and about forty minutes to a side dish that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tbsp neutral oil or bacon drippings
• 8 oz andouille sausage, finely diced
• 6 oz chicken livers, trimmed and patted dry
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• to taste hot sauce

Instructions

1. Stir all the spice blend ingredients together in a small bowl. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water for about 30 seconds, until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well and set aside.
2. Pat the chicken livers very dry and chop them as finely as you can, almost to a paste — a few passes with a sharp knife on a board is easier than a food processor, which turns them watery. Set aside in a small bowl.
3. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced andouille and cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, until browned at the edges and the fat has rendered. Scoop the sausage out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the chopped livers to the hot fat and cook without stirring for 1 minute, then break them up and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes more until they lose all pink color and start sticking and browning on the bottom of the pan. That brown fond is the "dirty" flavor — don't rush it.
5. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery with 1/2 teaspoon of the spice blend. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, scraping the browned bits up as the vegetables release their moisture, until the trinity is soft and the pan is nearly dry. Stir in the garlic and the remaining spice blend and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
6. Add the drained rice and stir for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in the seasoned fat and turns slightly translucent at the edges.
7. Pour in the chicken broth and Worcestershire, add the bay leaf, and return the browned sausage to the pan. Scrape the bottom clean and bring to a full boil over high heat, then taste the liquid — it should be a touch saltier than you want the finished rice; adjust with salt now.
8. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer undisturbed for 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid. Remove from the heat and let stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.
9. Discard the bay leaf. Add the butter, scallions and parsley and fluff with a fork, lifting from the bottom of the pan so the darkest rice gets folded through. Season with more salt and a few dashes of hot sauce, and serve hot.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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