We had a craving for creole cuisine and decided to try this plant-forward take on dirty rice: https://savorandsage.com/mushroom-dirty-rice/ It reminded us a bit of Ghanaian jollof rice.
Our modifications: first, to add more texture, we halved the mushroom amount and supplemented with black-eyed peas. We used 8 oz (1/2 lb cremini mushrooms), trimmed and roughly chopped, which we sauteed in 1 Tbsp unsalted butter on high heat in a sauteuse (see Note 1 below). As the mushrooms cooked, they released liquid (which we sopped up with paper towels) and then started to brown. Second, after removing the browned mushrooms from the pan, we then heated 1 Tbsp unsalted butter plus 2 Tbsp olive oil before adding the diced onion, celery, and bell pepper. Instead of 1/2 serrano pepper, we used 1/2 red jalapeño. Second, we used basmati rice. Third, at the same step where we added the seasonings, white miso, Worchestershire sauce, and rice, we folded in 15 oz of canned, rinsed, and drained seasoned black-eyed peas (see Note 2) before adding the broth. We used no-salt chicken broth; even if you used vegetable broth, this recipe isn’t vegetarian due to the Worchestershire sauce. At the end of cooking, we added 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp sugar for balance. This dish tastes remarkably authentic and almost evokes a smoked meat flavor. (Sept. 2022)
Note 1: Our sauteuse is from Williams-Sonoma: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-thermoclad-stainless-steel-ultimate-pan/.
Note 2: We had hoped to use no-salt, canned black-eyed peas, but we stumbled upon Simply Seasoned Blackeye Peas by Glory Foods (15 oz can): https://gloryfoods.com/products/peas-and-beans/simply-seasoned-blackeye-peas/ Infused with smoky depth, these seasoned beans were a perfect complement to the dirty rice recipe. To reduce sodium, we thoroughly rinsed and then drained the seasoned peas before adding to the sauteuse. They were a lucky find and added another layer of flavor.
Cooking Adventures 