Servings
Serves 4-6
Dirty rice gets its name—and its soul—from the "holy trinity" of Creole cooking (onion, celery, and bell pepper) plus a mix of ground meat and chicken livers that turn the rice a rich, speckled brown. This Louisiana classic is deeply savory, a little spicy, and endlessly satisfying. We're using Charleston Gold Rice, an heirloom variety that's been grown in the South Carolina Lowcountry since the 1700s. The long, slender grains stay fluffy and separate, soaking up all that bacon fat and seasoned broth while maintaining their delicate texture. It's a fitting tribute to both Creole tradition and Carolina rice heritage—two foodways that have shaped Southern cooking for centuries.
Ingredients
-
1 ½ cups WHF’s Charleston Gold Rice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 ounces diced bacon
½ pound ground pork
- 2 ounces chicken liver, veins removed, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 cup diced red onion
½ cup diced celery
½ cup small diced green bell pepper
- 1 jalapeño, minced, seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 fresh bay leaves (or 1 dried)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
¼ cup sliced green onions, to garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
Directions
Place rice in a colander and set inside a bowl. Rinse rice thoroughly under cold running water, agitating the grains with your hand, until the water runs clear. Drain.
Combine bacon and olive oil in a large (4-quart) Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Cook until most of the fat from the bacon has rendered and the edges start to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add ground pork and cook until brown and no clumps remain, breaking up the meat with a spoon as it cooks. Add chicken livers and cook until browned.
Stir in garlic, red onion, celery, bell pepper, jalapeño, and spices. Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Stir in rice, then return to a boil. Cover and immediately reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, until rice is tender, about 22-25 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes longer. Fluff with a fork and garnish with green onions and parsley.
