Dirty Rice

'Dirty' as an adjective for any food is not enticing -it makes me think of dumpster diving and picnic mishaps. Nevertheless, Dirty Rice is a good thing. Really, trust me on this one. It is made from a bit of this and a bit of that, and though it has a rather unappetizing look and name, it is a quite tasty dish. Not being from the southern parts of the country, I can't claim any authenticity for my version, and having a mind like a sieve, I can't remember exactly where and when I first learned to make this (Paul Prudhomme, I think), but I can attest to it being good and satisfying, rather easy to make, and an economical way to use up some odd bits from the freezer. Or I sometimes purposely save and freeze the odd bits for this recipe -giblets from a couple whole chickens and/or ducks, the bacon ends, a small amount of sausage, and half a diced green pepper- which gives me a certain virtuous satisfied feeling. Dirty Rice, cornbread, and baked beans is pure down home goodness, and was easily made with what was in our freezer and cupboards -just make sure and have plenty of Frank's Red Hot Sauce to liberally douse it with.

Dirty Rice

Heat: 2 T. oil. Add:
gizzards, hearts and livers from three chickens and/or ducks, ground or minced
1/4 lb. ground pork
1/2 c. diced bacon or bacon ends
Cook until no longer pink.

Add:
1 t. each salt, paprika, dry mustard, and cumin
1/2 t. each black pepper, Italian seasoning
1/2 chopped onion
3/4 chopped green bell pepper
2 chopped celery stalks
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, (defrosted) seeded and minced
Cook until tender. Add:
2 c. stock or water -ham stock is best, but I used lamb stock I had in the freezer for this.

Bring to a boil and add:
3/4 c. rice
1 c. frozen peas (optional)
Lower heat and cook until rice is tender. Remove from heat and allow to sit 10 minutes (if you can). Serve with LOTS of Frank's Red Hot Sauce.