Oyster And Shrimp Perloo
serves 4-6
Spicy and full of tomatoes, oyster and shrimp, perloo (or pilaf) draws on both Cajun and Asian traditions. Putting the bacon in the freezer for 20 minutes before you start cooking will make it easier to dice.
1/2 pound andouille sausage
3 strips bacon, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 ripe globe tomatoes, peeled,
seeded, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup long-grain basmati rice
25 medium oysters, shucked or 1/2 pound of pre-shucked oysters, liquor reserved
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 green onions, thinly sliced
prep: 15 minutes
total: 45 minutes
rubber gloves
Dutch oven (with lid)
wooden spoon
sieve
tongs
1. If the andouille is raw, cook the links in the Dutch oven over medium-low heat until they are firm enough to slice. Remove to a cutting board and cut the sausages into 1/4-inch pieces on the bias.
2. In the same Dutch oven, raise the heat to medium and cook the bacon to render its fat and make it slightly crisp. If the bacon does not render much fat, add all of the olive oil into the pan with the bacon. Otherwise, only add 1 tablespoon.
3. Add the onions, red bell pepper and jalapeños to the Dutch oven and stir to coat with the oil and bacon. Cook until softened, 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in the parsley, thyme and cayenne and stir to distribute all over the vegetables and continue to cook over medium heat, 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and garlic and cook until the liquid from the tomatoes has thickened, about 8 minutes. Mix in the rice, coating it with all the vegetables. Add in the reserved sliced andouille sausage.
6. Increase the heat to high and pour in the chicken stock and reserved oyster liquor. There should be about 1 1/2 cups of liquid total. Add some water to make up any difference.
7. Bring the perloo to a boil, put the lid on tightly, reduce the heat to low and cook the rice to al dente, 20 minutes. If the rice is sticking to the bottom of the dutch oven, add up to 1/2 cup of water.
8. Uncover the Dutch oven, increase the heat to medium-low and stir in the oysters and shrimp. Continue to cook until the oysters curl around the edges and the shrimp are bright pink, about 10 minutes.
9. Fluff up a bit with a fork and replace the lid until ready to serve. Scatter the sliced green onions on the perloo to garnish.
