Creole Rice — The Side That Holds the Whole Table Together

Labor Day. Third year of this post-pandemic reclamation of the holiday — it gets more itself each year, which is how good traditions work. Travis has graduated from observer to full participant in the back porch grill ritual. He now has opinions about the timing of the ribs that are not always wrong. I am working on not commenting on this. It is his table too now. He has earned his place at the grill by showing up and caring about it, which is how you earn any place worth having.

Destiny is good. She has been at her private practice for six months now, officially licensed, and she says the work is the hardest and most meaningful thing she has ever done and she goes home tired in a specific way that is different from the tired of trying to become something. This is the tired of being something. I know that tired. Bernice had it. I have it on Tuesday evenings after Bernice's Table. It is the tired that belongs to work that matters and there is no better kind.

CJ and Shanice are in full closing-on-the-house mode and they couldn't come for Labor Day, which is fine. There will be decades of Labor Days. We called on Sunday evening and I could hear in Shanice's voice the specific excitement of a woman who is about to have a kitchen she actually owns, which is a distinct and legitimate form of happiness that I understand completely. I told her about the window over the sink. She said, yes, CJ told me that was your one requirement. I said, the first of many. She laughed like she already knew.

Every table built around ribs needs something steady underneath it all, something with enough flavor to hold its own but enough grace to let the meat be the star. This Creole Rice has been that dish for us since before Travis ever picked up a pair of tongs. It’s the kind of recipe that simmers while the grill does its work, and by the time he’s pulling those ribs off the heat with the timing he’s finally getting right, the rice is ready too — settled and fragrant and exactly what the table needs.

Creole Rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 green onions, sliced, for garnish
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Sauté the trinity. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add garlic and spices. Stir in the garlic, Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
3. Toast the rice. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat in the butter and spices. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the grains turn slightly opaque.
4. Add liquids. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the chicken broth. Add salt and black pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
6. Rest and fluff. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, taste for seasoning, and garnish with sliced green onions and chopped parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 265 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 46g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 680mg