A Southern specialty, “red rice” comes in many versions and appears in early cookbooks from Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. It may be called pillau, perlou, pilaf or Savannah red rice and was brought to America by West African slaves. The dish is common among the Gullah, African Americans who live in the low-lying coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina. The key to red rice recipes is using long grain rice that absorbs liquid and fat, and most Southerners would agree that the “holy trinity” of onion, celery, and bell pepper be used. This essential vegetable mix may also be referred to as a mirepoix. Debate occurs around whether red rice should be cooked on the stove top or in the oven.
Recipe Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 5 bacon slices
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 1 can (16 oz) chopped whole tomatoes, undrained
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp hot pepper sauce
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
- Cook bacon in medium skillet on medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes.
- Remove bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Reserve drippings in skillet.
- Crumble bacon.
- Add yellow onion, celery, and bell pepper to reserved bacon grease. Turn heat to medium high and cook until tender, about 5–6 minutes.
- Stir in rice, tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and hot pepper sauce.
- Spoon into baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in oven about 40–45 minutes or until rice is tender.
- Top with crumbled bacon.
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