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Shrimp & Sausage Purloo
Served with a big green salad
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Serves 4
Prep time: 25 minutes Total time: 50 minutes |
- 1 large onion
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 shallot
- 1 head lettuce such as escarole, curly endive, or other winter variety
- 8 oz. frozen okra or frozen green beans
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 4 oz. best quality bacon, (preferably organic and nitrite free)
- 8 oz. smoked sausage, such as kielbasa
- 1-1/2 lbs. small shrimp
Shopping List
- Black pepper
- Dijon mustard
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Sea salt
- Worcestershire sauce
Pantry Items
- Chef’s knife
- Heavy skillet
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Paper towels
- Paring knife
- Salad spinner
- Spatula
- Strainer
- Whisk
- Wooden spoons
Tools
- Wine: Try a Dolcetto with this
- Dessert: Lemon Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce
Suggestions
- When you walk in the door
- Put the bacon in the freezer
- Don’t refrigerate the kielbasa
- Get out Pantry Items
- Get out Tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Open the wine
- Prep
- Peel the shrimp. Devein them if necessary, put them in a bowl and add 3 tbsps. Worcestershire sauce. Toss and refrigerate.
- Peel and dice the onion.
- Core, seed, and dice the green pepper.
- Peel and thinly slice the shallot.
- Slice the frozen okra into 3/8-inch rounds. If you’re using frozen beans, cut them into 1-inch long pieces. Re-freeze until you’re ready to cook them.
- Discard any damaged lettuce leaves. Separate the leaves from the lettuce, rinse and spin them dry. Tear the lettuce into large bite-size pieces.
- Rinse the rice in the strainer until the water runs clear.
- Dice the bacon.
- Cut the kielbasa into 3/4-inch thick rounds.
- Line a plate with paper towels.
- Start Cooking
- Put the bacon into a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When it starts to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium and cook it until it has rendered most of its fat, 7 minutes.
- Transfer the bacon to the plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Add the onion and the bell pepper to the bacon fat and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 3 minutes. Add the frozen okra and the kielbasa and stir.
- Add the rice to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Add 2 cups water, ½ tsp. salt, several grinds pepper and the cooked bacon. Cover and cook until the rice is plump through and has absorbed the water, 20-25 minutes. Check the rice occasionally to see if it needs more water and add 1 tbsp. at a time, if necessary.
- While the rice is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Put the shallot, a pinch of salt and the mustard in a bowl. Whisk in 1 tbsp. vinegar. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil. Taste for seasoning.
- Check the rice. Add water if necessary.
- You’ve got time now to set the table.
- When the rice is cooked, stir in the shrimp and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
- Whisk the vinaigrette and add the lettuce. Toss, toss, toss and take it to the table with the wine.
- Dinner is ready! Either take the purloo to the table in the pan, transfer it to a serving dish, or serve plates.
