Red Rice

When I was a boy, growing up in South Carolina and Georgia, we used to eat a lot of meals with my grandparents in Charleston.

One of the things we ate a whole lot of was rice. In South Carolina, rice is often the starch of choice for our big daily meal. We South Carolinians ate rice as often as most folks eat potatoes in the rest of the country.

There's no particular rice trade in South Carolina any more. Most of the fields were flooded with salt water by Federal Troops during the Civil War (Wah uv the Nothun Aggression for those of you who may visit Charleston) and never replanted again after the war. But, it is the starch that folks from that part of the world have eaten historically and continue to do so today

Most days, we'd eat it white topped with a little thin slurry made of the thickened juices of a roast or a chicken and some onions on top of the stove while the roast or chicken rested before carving.

My grandmother, Marie Parry (Her first name is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable), was an extremely proper little southern lady who operated by the rules that society taught her and none other.

For example, one night while they were visiting, my mother received an eager phone call inn the middle of the night from a friend who had gone into labor. Long before, they had made plans for my mom to come over if the labor came at night and stay with this family's children while they went to the hospital for the birth of the next child.

When the call came, somehow, Miss Marie, as she liked to be called, answered the phone first and advised the expectant mother that if she wanted to talk to Miss Marie's daughter, she'd have to call back at a more acceptable time of day.

One of the great simple dishes that Miss Marie cooked was a lowcountry staple called red rice. Red rice is a glorious combination of steamed rice, tomato paste, onions, and bacon. It is one of those dishes that may fall into obscurity as our cooking habits develop more around time saving short cuts than the enlightenment of new generations as to the food of their forefathers.

On my trips home, my own mother, who is now in her 70s, will ask me what I'd like to eat. I nearly always reply, "red rice".

She'll look at me kind of funny, shake her head a bit and say, "I'm not sure I know how to make that."

And then, I remember. The only person who ever made red rice was Miss Marie. She'd stir it and poke and it, fluffing the rice until it was just the right consistency to suit the old school rules of making red rice.

This month's Gourmet magazine has an excellent article on the peasant food of the low country of South Carolina including she crab soup, duck pilau (pronounced per-low) and of all things, red rice.

So, in this season of thanks, I'd like to remember Miss Marie fondly by introducinng you to her recipe for red rice and by making a vow to save this recipe for the current generations of my own family.

Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

* 1 can of tomato paste
* 1 1/2 - 2 cans water
* 2 onions (chopped fine)
* 3 teaspoons salt
* 2 - 3 teaspoons sugar
* 4 strips bacon (cubed)
* 8 tablespoons bacon grease
* Good dash of pepper
* 2 cups raw rice

Fry bacon crisp, remove from pan; sauté onions in grease; add tomato paste, water, salt, sugar, and pepper. Cook uncovered slowly (about 10 minutes) until mixture measures 2 cups, then add it to the rice in top section of the steamer. Add the 1/2 cup additional grease; steam for 1/2 hour, then add bacon, crumbled, and stir with a fork. Cook 30 - 45 minutes longer. Serves 6 - 8

Thanks, Will. For the recipe and what's behind it. I will try it soon (and not tell anyone about the add a 1/2 cup of grease part).

Will, it's likely not traditional, but seems this dish could use a splash of Louisiana hot sauce. You suppose Miss Marie would be accepting of that?

With or without hot sauce, a very warm story, my friend.

Hammond

Will:

Great post. A story and a recipe: what more could we want.

The recipe really appeals to my general inclinaton toward simple dishes, where there is a focus on a few things in combination. Onion, bacon, tomato and rice... sounds great.

A