Have a good recipe for Dirty Rice?

[TdeV]

I've just noticed this dish but am wondering about variations. Please advise.

[heidih]

I've enjoyed the dish a couple times in New Orleans. The only time I can recall making it was with a box of Zatarain's Dirty Rice,  finely chopped chicken livers, some chopped gizzards for textural contrast, and.....the meat pulled off some long simmered turkey necks. I used the resulting broth as the liquid. Pork sausage meat is in some recipes and I'm good with that but the sound of recipes using ground beef turn me off. What style have you enjoyed?

[TdeV]

Hi @heidih, I don't remember having dirty rice, so I've no idea what goes in it! I'm picking up two chickens from a farm on Tuesday. Would chicken necks be good to use?

[heidih]

I think chicken neck meat sounds good, plus the liver and gizzards. Necks & gizzards simmered to make a tasty broth. The Cajun seaoning is often purchased along the lines of Tony Chachere's blend. And the holy trinity of celery/onion/bell pepper is a must of course.  I don't like the BP's but can somehow deal with them in such dishes (?) Have fun with it

Edited July 22, 2018 by heidih (log)

[Kim Shook]

I'd like to find a good recipe, too.  I love it, but often find it too spicy for me and sometimes the bell pepper is too forward.  If I had a recipe, I could adjust the seasonings to my taste. 

[TdeV]

@heidih, do you mix cajun seasoning on the fly, or do you purchase it ready made? And what's in yours?

Edited July 22, 2018 by TdeV (log)

[heidih]

Only time I made it was with Zatarain's which is pre-seasoned. Probably more cost effective to buy a Cajun spice mix. I used to get Tony's at 99 cent store!

[Okanagancook]

I haven’t made a bad recipe from Paul Prudhomme.

on his website there is a recipe for dirty rice but it uses one of his commercial spice mixes.

the recipe is the same as in his Louisiana Kitchen cookbook.

you can sub this mix for his commercial mix

 

2 t cayenne

1.5 t salt ( omit any salt in the website recipe)

1.5 t ground black pepper

1.25 t sweet paprika 

0.5 t dried thyme

0.5 t dried oregano

 

[Dave the Cook]

As with many things Cajun, Chef Paul is a good place to start.

 

Edit: @Okanagancook  beat me to it.

 

I'd only add that if you're new to Prudhomme, be aware that he is, let's say, assertive in his seasoning. Personally I love it, but some might find it to be a bit much. When I'm cooking for such diners, I start with half the amount of cayenne and black pepper called for, reserving the rest to add later, if desired.

 

 

[kayb]

On 7/20/2018 at 12:51 PM, Katie Meadow said:

When it comes to celery however, I can't imagine life without it. How would you make egg salad or tuna salad or chicken salad or potato salad? I have never in my life eaten celery with peanut butter, though, and I'm not about to start now. 

It would be much better egg, tuna, chicken or potato salad. But then, I don't put raw onion (except scallions) in any of the above, either.

 

Celery is for stirring your bloody Mary, and then laying aside on the napkin.

2 hours ago, heidih said:

I think chicken neck meat sounds good, plus the liver and gizzards. Necks & gizzards simmered to make a tasty broth. The Cajun seaoning is often purchased along the lines of Tony Chachere's blend. And the holy trinity of celery/onion/bell pepper is a must of course.  I don't like the BP's but can somehow deal with them in such dishes (?) Have fun with it

 

That'll do it. As I loathe bell peppers, I sub sweet banana peppers.