Dirty Rice

Donald Link, Herbsaint. There's no more classic Louisiana dish than this deeply flavored rice. The chicken livers are traditional, and give it an authentic taste you can't really get any other way. Letting everything cook until it browns and sticks to the skillet is very important for flavor.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 24 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  chicken livers (8 to 10 medium livers)
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil
• 1/4  pound  ground pork
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground pepper
• 1/2  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1 1/2  cups  chicken stock, divided
• 1  small onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 2  stalks celery, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
• 3  green onions, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 3  cups  cooked rice

Preparation

1. Puree chicken livers in a food processor. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat; add liver and pork, and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and chili powder, and cook 2 minutes more.

2. Add 1/4 cup stock, and cook until evaporated, about 8 minutes, allowing mixture to brown and stick to skillet. Stir in onion and next 3 ingredients, and cook until well browned and sticking to skillet, about 8 minutes.

3. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups stock, and cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Add green onion, parsley, and rice, remove from heat, and stir thoroughly.