dirty rice

     

Dirty rice is a traitional Cajun dish made from white rice cooked with small pieces of chicken liver or giblets, which give it a dark ("dirty") color. The cooked livers tend to be dry, but carry a very mild flavor. Similar to a pilaf, it also includes green bell pepper, celery and onion (the "holy trinity"). Parsley and/or chopped green onions are common garnishes. Dirty rice is most common in the Cajun regions of southern Louisiana and Mississippi; however, it can also be found in other areas of the American south.

Trivia about dirty rice

  • Cajun grain dish so-named because the chopped livers & gizzards in in made it appear "soiled"
  • This "dirty" Cajun grain specialty is so-named because chopped poultry livers & gizzards are added for flavor
  • This "grimy" type of Cajun rice traditionally has gizzards in the mix, but ground beef works too