BeeBee’s South Carolinian Gullah Red Rice
Adrienne Adams, District 28:
Jamaica, Rochdale Village, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill
I learned to cook at the feet of my South Carolinian mother, Ruth, affectionately known as “BeeBee” to family members. We lost her unexpectedly this year and miss her dearly. This Thanksgiving receipt is shared in her Geechee Cooking Goddess memory. One of the great things about my Gullah people of South Carolina is that they were rice farmers who added home grown garden vegetables to their rice dishes. As children growing up in Queens, my sister and I loved Mom’s okra and tomatoes with a hint of sweet corn over rice, cabbage, bell peppers and onions over rice, and our absolute favorite of all, which features fresh tomatoes, onions, and seasonings: RED RICE! Prepare it very carefully and enjoy it with the love of the Low Country!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
2 chopped onions
1 can (16 oz.) crushed tomatoes or 3 cups freshly sliced tomatoes
1 can (6 oz.) of tomato paste
5 slices of bacon
2 cups long-grain white rice
6 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
Directions
Rinse rice until water runs clear
Melt butter over medium heat in a 2 quart saucepan.
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned, reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings, reduce heat to medium. Drain bacon on paper towels, cool and crumble.
Add onion, bacon and drippings to saucepan, stir until onion is transparent.
Add boiling water, tomatoes, tomato paste, rice, sugar, salt and pepper, hot sauce (optional).
Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until liquid is completely absorbed, approximately 20-30 minutes.