Gullah is the name for the African-American culture of the Carolina Low Country—the region in and around Charleston and the coastal islands. One-pot rice dishes with sausage and seafood like the recipe shown here are among its culinary traditions.

This recipe is part of our healthy soul food menu.
Servings: Serves 6–8
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil , divided
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken pieces (about 3 pieces or half a chicken)
  • 3 Tbsp. Gullah seasoning | Get the recipe!
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups raw white rice
  • 1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup peeled and finely diced carrots
  • 1/4 pound medium shrimp , peeled and deveined (about 8 shrimp)
  • 1/4 cup sliced andouille sausage (about 1 small sausage)
  • Directions
    Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Season chicken with Gullah seasoning. Brown chicken in oil, about 8 minutes; remove and set aside. Add onion to pot and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

    Return chicken to pot with onion and add stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and briskly simmer until juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Strain stock into a bowl and discard onion. Return stock to pot.

    Heat butter in another heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until mixture turns dark brown, about 10 minutes. Whisk mixture into stock, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and briskly simmer until stock thickens, about 5 minutes. Add rice and return to a simmer, then cover and continue to simmer until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

    While rice is cooking, strip chicken meat from bones. Discard bones and any sinew. Dice the meat.

    In a clean, heavy-bottomed pot, heat remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Add pepper and carrots; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and sauté 3 minutes more. Add chicken and sausage and heat through. Add mixture to rice, mix well, and cook until heated through. Serve immediately.

    This recipe is adapted from Gullah Cuisine, by Charlotte Jenkins and William Baldwin (available at EveningPostBooks.com). Gullah Cuisine restaurant is in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

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