Hearty Dirty Rice

At Delish, we firmly believe you don't have to be a trained chef to make insanely delicious food. It’s why we launched Insanely Easy Weeknight Dinners, a recurring series dedicated to simple meals the whole family can enjoy together. Well, pull up a dining chair because we’re partnering with Coca-Cola and asking real-life Delish readers to share their riffs on their families’ favorite recipes.

After meeting on Facebook over five years ago, Ariel Pierre-Louis and Gregory Thomas fell in love long distance, Ariel living in her native Brooklyn and Gregory in his hometown of Detroit. Then the pandemic shut down the country. It was just the catalyst they needed. Knowing her Brooklyn apartment would be cramped and long-distance travel limited, Ariel packed up her New York life and moved in with Gregory. In quarantine, the couple cooked together more than ever before, melding their families’ recipes for dirty rice—a traditional Cajun or Creole dish made with chicken livers—to create a new version that incorporates Ariel’s Caribbean background and Gregory’s African American background. The result: this Hearty Dirty Rice, which fuses sofrito and soul food. Read on to find out how their unique recipe came to be—and try it out yourself, as a summer-perfect supper or a dynamite Fourth of July dish.

What’s your family history with dirty rice?

Dirty rice recipes were passed down to both me and Gregory from our parents. Gregory’s ancestry traces back to the South, and my family is mainly from Haiti and Puerto Rico. My maternal grandmother additionally grew up in Canarsie, New York in the 1900s, with a strong African American and Native American identity. Over the years, we’ve learned that our upbringing in different communities may have seemed really different at first glance, but was actually interconnected in many ways—like with our love of dirty rice! This fusion dish has so much cultural significance, tastes great and is affordable, so it gets you through tough times. But it’s also something I’d eat for special occasions! 

Which elements of this recipe come from each of your cultures?

For me, it was very important to add adobo and beef flavoring, my family always grabbed those to add to whatever we were making. There’s a lot of garlic, which is from my side, plus sazón and sofrito which are Caribbean. The soul food elements start with a lot of onions, Cajun seasoning, paprika, and cayenne, very American flavors. All of it goes really well together. 

Why is this meal important to you? 

Detroit has been really different than Brooklyn—it’s very hard to find a Caribbean restaurant, which are all over Brooklyn. You go to the club and you hear Caribbean music. Growing up in Brooklyn, I thought everyone was Caribbean. Gregory grew up with African Americans. So, now, this dish is a taste of home for both of us.

Why is enjoying this recipe a ritual in your household? 

Dirty rice is such a diverse dish. You can eat it when you’re happy, sad, when it’s cold out, or too hot, it really doesn't matter. You could also make it vegetarian. It’s just so good and versatile. I’ll make a big batch, pack it in the fridge, and eat it for four days straight. It’s a comfort food. And it’s perfect to wash down with a refreshing, cold drink, like a Coke.

Do you have any advice for anyone making this recipe?

Don’t skip out on traditional ingredients, especially the seasonings, even if you haven’t heard of them! In Detroit, I haven’t found the brands of ingredients that I grew up with, but I’ve still been able to source them through other companies. Plus, with the internet, there are ways to learn about new flavors. Even if my family’s typical brand of sazón isn’t available near my new home, I’ve learned to adapt, bring my heritage to the Midwest, and meld it with Gregory’s own identity and memories.