This conventional Gullah dish is without doubt one of the particular recipes that led chef and creator Scotty Scott to rediscover his household historical past whereas researching his cookbook, Fix Me A Plate. Scott’s mom was raised in Savannah, Georgia, and the meals she grew up consuming have been fixtures on the household desk. The chef tailored her model, swapping in smoked sausage for bacon, and enriching the cooking liquid with Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and tomato paste.
As a part of the low nation, the coastal area of Georgia and South Carolina between the 2 Jacksonvilles (to not be confused with the Low Nation—the counties of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper in South Carolina), a number of conventional dishes from Savannah contain rice, which at one time was the dominant crop of the area. As is the case with many agricultural merchandise related to Soul meals, enslaved Africans introduced with them the information of not solely develop the ingredient, but in addition prepare dinner with it.
Scott’s mom cooked her crimson rice in a Pyrex glass pot. The recipe, all the time a household favourite, nonetheless reminds Scott of his mom putting that large dish on the desk and eradicating the glass high to disclose a steaming scorching, scrumptious pot of fluffy crimson rice.
Featured in “This Gullah Recipe Taught Me About the Culinary Traditions of My Cultural Roots.”
Gullah Purple Rice
Chef Scotty Scott’s supper for a crowd is laced with tomatoes, aromatics, and smoked sausage.
Yield: serves 6
Time:
1 hour, 20 minutes
Components
- Non-stick baking spray
- 12 oz. smoked sausage, sliced into ½-in. rounds or 4 strips of bacon, coarsely chopped
- 3 cups hen inventory
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped (1½ cups)
- 1 giant inexperienced bell pepper, coarsely chopped (1½ cups)
- 4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (1 Tbsp.)
- Two 14.5-oz. cans stewed tomatoes
- 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra to style
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp. freshly floor black pepper
- ¼ cayenne pepper
- 1 lb. (2 cups) long-grain rice
- ½ cups thinly sliced scallion greens, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven (with one among its racks positioned within the middle) to 350°F. Frivolously oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then place the dish on a big rimmed baking sheet.
- Place the rice in a nice mesh strainer and rinse beneath chilly water till the water runs clear. Drain effectively, then switch the rice to a medium bowl and put aside. To a medium bowl, add the hen inventory and whisk within the tomato paste, put aside.To a big heavy pot set over medium warmth, add the sausage and fry, stirring steadily, till browned on all sides and the fats has rendered, about 6 minutes. Switch to a plate, leaving the fats behind. To the identical pot, nonetheless medium warmth, add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and prepare dinner, stirring steadily, till the onion is translucent and the peppers have softened, 4–5 minutes. Stir within the garlic and prepare dinner till aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir within the tomatoes, salt, sugar, Worcestershire, black pepper, cayenne, and the reserved sausage. Convey to a simmer, and prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, and utilizing a spoon to interrupt up the tomatoes, till the sauce thickens barely, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and the hen inventory combination, then flip the warmth to medium-high to deliver to a full boil. Decrease the warmth to to keep up a simmer, then prepare dinner, stirring sometimes till barely thickened, about 5 minutes. Take away the rice from the warmth, then rigorously ladle the rice combination to the reserved baking dish. Cowl tightly with aluminum foil, then switch the pan (nonetheless on the baking sheet) to the oven. Bake till the rice is tender, 30–35 minutes. Take away from the oven and uncover. Fluff with a fork, garnish with the sliced scallion greens, and serve heat.
