Author Notes
This recipe is inspired by my current region, the Low Country, and the diaspora. I’ve seen versions of this rice dish throughout my years as a chef and my years traveling the West Indies. I saw the similarities with congee and asopao. Also saw similarities with Puerto Rican arroz con pollo, Trinidadian cook-up rice or pelau, and even the famous jambalaya. I feel like this version highlighted this beautiful one-pot rice recipe. —Digby Stridiron
Test Kitchen Notes
Middlins, or broken rice, are the fractured bits of grain that get caught during milling process. They're smaller and glossier than a Carolina rice kernel. The effect is somewhere between a rice and a porridge. We sourced ours from Anson Mills. —The Editors
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Ingredients
- Purloo
-
1/2 pound
bacon
-
2 pounds
chorizo
-
1 cup
sofrito (store-bought, or see recipe below)
-
3 ounces
fresh ginger, grated
-
1 tablespoon
ground black pepper
-
1 tablespoon
ground coriander
-
3 ounces
harissa
-
1 1/2 tablespoons
paprika
-
1 tablespoon
ground cumin
-
1/4 cup
cane vinegar
-
2 cups
middlins (broken rice, also called "rice grits")
-
1 pound
cleaned shrimp
-
1 bunch
green onions
-
Squeeze of lime
- Sofrito
-
1
red pepper
-
1
green pepper
-
4 to 5
sweet peppers
-
8
leaves of culantro
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4
garlic cloves
-
1
red onion
-
1
jalapeño or 1/2 a habanero
-
3
leaves of Spanish thyme (or regular thyme)
-
1/2 bunch
cilantro
-
1/2 bunch
parsley
-
1/4 cup
olive oil
Directions
- Purloo
-
Heat the oven to 375° F. Dice the bacon into small cubes and render the fat in a good rice pan or wide sauté pan over low heat. Once you can see they are getting crispy, remove them from the heat and set aside. Turn the heat in the pan up and crumble in half the chorizo.
-
Once it’s cooked through, add the sofrito, ginger, black pepper, coriander, harissa, paprika, and cumin. Allow the spices to toast against the bottom of the pan. The aroma should be incredible.
-
Now add the cane vinegar, to clean up the caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan. Once the vinegar reduces a bit, add 3 1/2 cups of water and allow the flavors to blend thoroughly for a few minutes. You don’t want it to fully reduce, but a slight reduction is perfect!
-
While it’s bubbling, add the rice and slowly mix. Cover the pot. Lower the heat to low. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes before checking.
-
Meanwhile, place the rest of the chorizo sausage in a nonstick pan or patty them up and roast them in the oven. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 12 to 14 minutes.
-
Slice the sausages once they are cooked and rested. Then place them and the shrimp on top of the rice and close the pot.
-
Slice the green onion tops thinly on a bias.
-
After 10 minutes, add the green onions and stir, making sure to turn over all of the rice. Allow to cook over low heat, uncovered, for another 5 to 7 minutes, allowing the rice to absorb more of the liquid.
-
Turn off the heat and allow it to sit for a few minutes before enjoying. Finish with a squeeze of lime.
- Sofrito
-
Once peeled and prepped, place all of the ingredients in a food processor except for the oil. Start the food processor and slowly add the oil. Do not run it for more than 90 seconds.
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