One of the first friends I made as a newlywed and a newcomer to Savannah was Jacky Blatner Yglesias. Luckily, Jacky likes to go “junking” just as much as I do, so we’ve spent many happy hours together treasure hunting. Jacky taught me how to head shrimp and how to make red rice, which is a mainstay at the outdoor seafood extravaganza known as a Low Country Boil. Once, we went to jail together in Metter, Georgia, after a late-night car breakdown. But that’s a story for another time.
4 slices bacon
½ cup chopped onion
1 (28-oz.) can petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups white rice
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Crumble the bacon.
3. Sauté the onion in the bacon drippings until tender. Add the tomatoes, rice, broth, salt, pepper, and crumbled bacon. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.