Throughout the rice-growing regions of the South, and especially in Cajun country, rice-based dressings are more common on Thanksgiving tables than the cornbread-and-sage variety. Many contain a lot of meat. For my version, I pared back to chicken livers, which add a delightful earthy flavor, and oysters, because I like oysters in anything.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
6–8 chicken livers, chopped
1 pint oysters, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
5 cups cooked white rice
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Place the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onions, green bell peppers, and garlic, stirring, until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken livers and continue to cook until the livers are almost done, then add the oysters. Stir and cook the mixture, cutting the oysters in half as they cook. Make sure the livers and oysters are cooked through.
Stir the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into the mixture, then stir in the rice and pecans. Lower the heat and gently heat through, then serve.