Rice Dressing

Rice dressing — also called dirty rice dressing, Cajun rice dressing, or simply "dressing" in Acadiana — is the Thanksgiving and holiday centrepiece side dish of Cajun Louisiana. It is, in practical terms, boudin filling (see LA1-09) freed from its casing and baked in a casserole dish: ground pork, pork liver, gizzard, the trinity, Cajun seasoning, cooked rice, and stock, combined and baked until the top is golden and the interior is moist and steaming. The relationship between boudin, dirty rice (LA1-12), and rice dressing is a continuum — the same family of ingredients prepared three different ways for three different occasions. Boudin is the portable format. Dirty rice is the weeknight format. Rice dressing is the holiday format.

A casserole of ground pork (and/or ground beef), finely chopped pork liver and gizzard, the trinity, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and cooked long-grain rice, bound with stock and/or egg, baked in a large pan until the top is golden-brown and the interior is moist and cohesive. The texture should be denser and more substantial than dirty rice — the baking firms the starch and creates a slight crust on top. The liver should be distributed throughout, providing its mineral depth without being identifiable as distinct chunks.

Rice dressing is a holiday side dish. It sits alongside turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, cornbread — the full Louisiana Thanksgiving or Christmas table. Its role is the savoury, meaty, deeply seasoned counterweight to the sweet dishes. Hot sauce on the table. Cranberry sauce (yes, even in Louisiana) provides the acid.