Southern Comfort

When you think Gullah cooking, what comes to mind? Visions of crawfish, shrimp or Low Country boil, maybe? Well, here’s one of my favorite all-time, cool-weather dishes, and it is true Southern comfort food. This dish has several names, but I’ve always known it by Perleau (pronounced Purr- LOW). This particular version was handed down to me and has been around since before the Civil War. You really can’t make an easier dish -- its all done in one stock pot, and an hour later, it’s on the table. I have simplified this recipe to save on time, but not on flavor. I use an herb rotisserie chicken found in most grocery stores to cut down on cooking time. I have never had anyone not love this recipe or turn down a second helping.

Perleau

Ingredients:

1- Herb rotisserie chicken, the skin needs to be removed and the meat pulled from the bones
1- Package breakfast sausage crumbled
1- Package smoked sausage sliced into ¼ inch pieces
1- Large sweet onion chopped
3-C uncooked rice
21/2-C chicken stock
2-Cans beer (I use Budweiser)
2- Tsp salt
2- Tbs black pepper
1- Pinch cayenne pepper


In a large stock pot on medium-high heat, cook the breakfast sausage until browned and remove sausage, leaving the drippings in the pot.
Pour the onions into the pot and cook until clarified. Add the chicken stock and beer, and bring to a boil on high heat.
At this point, add the rice, chicken, smoked sausage and seasonings to the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover and cook one hour until rice is done.
I serve this with a salad and fresh French bread sliced and toasted.

Anyone out there want to try their hand a paring this with a wine?

Cheers,

Erik

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