Panhandle Perloo

Irv Miller

Ingredients:

For the perloo:

2 cups (1 link) thick-sliced andouille sausage
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups peeled tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth (store-bought)
4 cups seafood broth (store-bought)
1 tablespoon smoky paprika (La Chinata brand preferred)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon crushed red peppers
2 ounces hot sauce (Ed’s Red brand preferred)
3 cups Plantation Gold rice or aromatic white rice
1 pound medium wild shrimp, peeled and deveined
24 wild middle neck clams, scrubbed
24 shucked wild Gulf Coast oysters

Instructions:

For the Perloo: Preheat oven to 400F. Place the sliced sausage over medium heat in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet. Cook the sausage until the edges are turned up but not crispy, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook another 10-12 minutes or until the onions begin to take on a light color. Add tomatoes, garlic, broth, spices, hot sauce and rice. Stir well, increase heat to medium high, and bring mixture to a boil. Stir one more time, and then cover.

Place in hot oven on the middle shelf. Reduce heat to 325F. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and arrange shrimp, oysters and clams on top. Cover once again and cook another 10 minutes to cook the seafood and make sure that the rice is tender. Uncover and make sure all the clams have opened. Turn off heat and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve as main course.