Carolina Red Rice with Shrimp and Bacon
Makes about 6 servings
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups Fresh Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- 1¼ cups chicken broth, divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
- Garnish: fresh thyme, chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a medium cast-iron Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon, and let drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in pan.
- Increase heat to medium-high; add onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add Fresh Tomato Sauce, rice, 1 cup broth, thyme, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until rice is almost tender, about 20 minutes.
- Gently stir in shrimp, tomatoes, and remaining ¼ cup broth, if needed. Cover and cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Crumble bacon, and sprinkle over shrimp mixture. Garnish with thyme and parsley, if desired.
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ¼ cup chopped carrot
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, vinegar, tomato paste, salt, and red pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely.
- In the container of a blender or food processor, process tomato mixture in batches until smooth; transfer to a large bowl. Place a large fine-mesh sieve over another large bowl. Strain tomato mixture, stirring and pressing with a spatula. Discard solids. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.