Dirty rice

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One-pan fried rice dishes are my jam, and the reason I almost always cook extra rice while I’m at it—cold rice doesn’t clump together, and can move around and be coated with whatever fat and flavours are in your skillet.

Dirty rice—a Creole dish—is traditionally made with ground meat and finely chopped chicken livers, which you could absolutely add if you’re into that sort of thing. I find sausages, squeezed out of their casings, great for seasoning the whole pan, and I’ve been known to toss in other leftover bits as well—as is the nature of a one-pan fried rice meal. (Again, measurements here are very flexible.)

SERVES

Ingredients

Canola or olive oil, for cooking
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large fresh sausages (any kind)
2 cups cooked rice (cold is best)
2-3 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch chili flakes or cayenne

Directions

Set a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add a generous drizzle of oil and cook the celery and pepper for a few minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and squeeze the sausage out of its casings into the pan. Cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until it’s no longer pink.
Add the cold rice, green onions, chili powder and thyme (pull the leaves off the stems) and cook, stirring, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan, seasoning with salt, pepper and chili flakes, until everything is well coated and heated through.