Recipes from the Twit Army Mess Hall - Shrimp Dirty Rice

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 pound ground meat (I use andouille which I grind up but use whatever you like)
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne**
1/2 teaspoon paprika**
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano**
1 bay leaf**
1 3/4 teaspoons salt**
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper**
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
3 cups canned low-sodium chicken or shrimp broth or homemade stock
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and halved
2 scallions including green tops, chopped


In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the ground meat and cook until no longer pink, about 2 minutes. (If you're using precooked sausage skip this step and just add the meat to the pan, & cook until heated)
Reduce the heat to moderately low and add the rest of the oil to the pan. (Again if it's a high fat sausage you might not need any more) Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cayenne, paprika, oregano, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and rice. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Raise the heat to moderate and stir in the shrimp. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, until the rice and shrimp are just done, about 5 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the scallions.

** If you're using a highly spiced sausage none of these may be necessary
Serves 4
This one must be served the same day it's cooked, doesn't keep worth beans but it's quick & easy to make