Cooking Social Club: Recipe Of The Week: N’awlins Haunting!
Bring a little New Orleans flavor to your Halloween table! Tender poached shrimp, savory rice, and juicy blistered tomatoes come together in a dish with just enough spice to keep things interesting.
This dish is the food pairing for our Haunted Harvest Halloween Mix! mixology class. While guests mix their cocktails, our chefs will be making N’awlins Haunting for everyone to enjoy alongside their drinks.
N’awlins Haunting
Ingredients
For the Dirty Rice
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces ground pork (or rough chopped pork shoulder or moderately lean trimmings)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced (or smashed, as we regularly do here)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or a mild dried chili powder, preferably DARK red chili powder)
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or less to taste (this adds heat… use at your own discretion)
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice (do not use parboiled rice… or Uncle Ben’s)
2 cups chicken broth or homemade veggie broth (use what you have)
Salt and black pepper, to taste (remember to salt closer to the end of the cooking process)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (as a finishing garnish)
For the Shrimp
1 pound large Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups water
1 lemon, halved
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Blistered Tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Build the Rice’s Flavor: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it apart until browned. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for another 5–6 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic, paprika, thyme, and cayenne. Cook for 30 seconds.
Simmer the Rice: Stir in the rice, then add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 18–20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff, fold in the green onions, and season to taste.
Blister the Tomatoes: While the rice cooks, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes in a single layer and cook for 5–7 minutes, turning occasionally, until their skins blister and begin to split. Season with salt and pepper.
Poach the Shrimp: Combine the water, half the lemon, bay leaf, and salt in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat until the water is barely bubbling. Add the shrimp and gently poach for approximately 3–5 minutes, depending on size, until opaque throughout. Remove promptly and finish with a squeeze from the remaining lemon half.
Serve It Up: Spoon the dirty rice onto plates, arrange the shrimp over the top, and finish with the blistered tomatoes. For a party appetizer, serve smaller portions in individual tasting cups.
Chef’s Tips
Skip the Parboiled Rice: Use uncooked long-grain white rice. Do not use parboiled rice… or Uncle Ben’s.
Salt at the End: Remember to salt closer to the end of the cooking process.
Watch the Cayenne..Add Favorite Latin Seasonings: The cayenne adds the heat, so use it at your own discretion. Add Latin used seasonings like Cumin are often added..
Smash the Garlic: Mince it, or smash it, as we regularly do here.
Use What You Have: Chicken broth or homemade veggie broth both work.
Bring a Little New Orleans to Your Table
Download or save the complete recipe so you can recreate it at home, and keep exploring our blog for more recipes, chef tips, and cooking inspiration.
Want to try it before you make it yourself? Join us for Haunted Harvest Halloween Mix! on Saturday, October 31, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Our chefs will have N’awlins Haunting ready to pair with your cocktails. You can also explore our other upcoming cooking classes at Cooking Skills & Social in Itasca. Our chef-led classes are approachable, social, and designed for cooks of every experience level.
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