Proper Geechee Rice Recipes

GULLAH RICE

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Season chicken with Gullah seasoning. Brown chicken in oil, about 8 minutes; remove and set aside. Add onion to pot and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Return chicken to pot with onion and add stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and briskly simmer until juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Strain stock into a bowl and discard onion. Return stock to pot.
• Heat butter in another heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until mixture turns dark brown, about 10 minutes. Whisk mixture into stock, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and briskly simmer until stock thickens, about 5 minutes. Add rice and return to a simmer, then cover and continue to simmer until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• While rice is cooking, strip chicken meat from bones. Discard bones and any sinew. Dice the meat.
• In a clean, heavy-bottomed pot, heat remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Add pepper and carrots; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and sauté 3 minutes more. Add chicken and sausage and heat through. Add mixture to rice, mix well, and cook until heated through. Serve immediately.

GULLAH RED RICE

Steps:

• Place bacon in a pot and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add bell pepper and onion to bacon grease and saute over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook and stir until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove mixture from the pan to a bowl.
• Pour tomato sauce and tomato paste into the same pot, along with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; add rice, sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Bring back to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Transfer the rice mixture to a 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until liquid has evaporated and rice is tender, about 25 minutes.

PROPER GEECHEE RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. In a heavy saucepan over high heat, combine the rice and water and cover with the lid ajar. Bring the water to a boil, shift the lid so that it covers the pan tightly, turn down the heat to very low, and cook for 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Never stir the rice during this time. Don't even uncover the pot to peek. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Your rice will be proper.

PROPER POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring the water to boil in a large pan. Slowly stream in the polenta, whisking continuously. Once it's mixed, continue to stir over the heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the butter and Parmesan. You can add a little more water to make it the right consistency. Season and serve straight away.

PADMA LAKSHMI'S EASY RED RICE SIDE DISH COSTS LITTLE AND FEEDS MANY

Steps:

• Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and wash under cool water, rinsing it with your hands until water runs clear. Set aside to drain. In a blender, combine onions, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and ⅓ cup water (or stock, if using). Process until smooth. Heat a deep nonstick pot over medium. Add oil. When oil is hot, add puree. (Be careful not to splash!) Stir well. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover, making sure to tip the water on the underside of lid back into pot. Add thyme, paprika, cayenne, pepper and salt. Stir well. Cover and cook 30 minutes, stirring often (always replace lid after stirring). Add remaining 3 cups of water (or stock, if using). Turn heat up to high. Stir and cover. Once you have a vigorous boil, add rice, stirring to mix well. Cover. As soon as you hear it come back up to a boil (1-2 minutes), reduce heat to low. Cook 20-25 minutes. Uncover and carefully fluff rice with a big fork. If rice is not tender enough, or if it's dry, add a bit of water and continue to cook, covered, on low. If the rice is too wet, cook a few minutes more, until water is absorbed and rice is done. If lucky, you may get a crunchy crust at the bottom! Keep rice covered until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon juice.