This one is my take on the classic Cajun rice dish. The fact that I’m using cooked chicken sausage and crab claw meat from the outset also makes this full-flavoured dish extremely easy to cook and very simple to clean. Anyway, the base of this dish is what’s referred to in Southern cooking as “The Holy Trinity,” and it’s a lot like the French Mirepoix, but with green pepper replacing the carrots. While it delivers a lot of great flavour to the dish, it has an added bonus in the incredible aromatics it releases as it cooks. With the ability to swap out proteins (try andouille and shrimp for example), add and remove veggies (peas and corn are great additions) and control the spiciness to your liking, this dish ought to find its way into your rotation!
Time: 45 Minutes
Ingredients (for 2-3 servings)
- Proteins
- I am using cooked crab claw meat and cooked chicken sausage (sundried tomato)
- Any combo of chicken, shrimp, andouille, crawfish tails, etc. will work well…but should be cooked in your pan first and set aside to be added at the the cooked proteins are added)
- Long Grain rice. I’m using 1 cup of arroz rice.
- Veggies for “Holy Trinity”…Pick your ratios based on which components you like most.
- Onion. I used a whole yellow onion.
- Green Pepper. I went with half of a pepper.
- Celery. This dish used 3 celery stalks.
- Tomato Paste (about 3 oz. If you’re looking for something to do with the rest of the can, try making Chana Masala)
- Garlic (a few cloves is good)
- Chicken stock (4 parts chicken stock to 1 part rice)
- Spices. I’m using paprika and cayenne. Also, a little tabasco.
- Butter (about a tablespoon)
Method:
- Dice your onion, celery, and green pepper.
- Melt some butter in a large heavy bottomed pan (I’m using stainless steel since I don’t want the acidity of the tomato paste to mess with my cast iron), and then add your onion, pepper, and celery.
- Sautee for a few minutes, and when everything starts to soften, and the onions become opaque, slice your garlic and add it in. Then pour in your spices, and stir around to coat, and let sautee for another minute or two.
- Stir in your cooked sausage, and then add and stir in your tomato paste until everything is nicely coated.
- Then, add your rice, and let the whole glorious mixture cook for a few minutes.
- Add about half of your chicken stock, and let simmer until it’s been nearly fully absorbed…then add the rest of it, and do the same thing again. Test some of the rice towards the end of this second iteration to ensure it’s cooked to your liking. If so, proceed to next step. If not, add a little more water, and do it again. To avoid major sticking to the pan, stir pretty regularly.
- Lastly, stir in your Tabasco and crab until it is hot.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
