50 Women Game-Changers Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian, #32 - Sullivan's Island Shrimp Bog

 
 Big bunch of bacon. (This is good.  I'm married to someone who eats anything with bacon.)  Next:  tons of onions.  Rice. Lots of shrimp, ahhh.  All cooked together in one lovely mess called a bog.  For those of us with no real connection to the south-eastern coastal states, a bog brings to mind cranberries in Maine or Wisconsin, even.  Or being stuck at work, as in:  "I'm all bogged down writing that article."  But this bog, this "Sullivan's Island Shrimp Bog," is just what it sounds like:  mounds of steamed shrimp mixed up on top of a velvety oh-so-thick tomatoed, oniony, spicy rice--perfect for brunch or a lunch bunch.  If the words "comfort food" weren't so over-used and so inappropriate (comfort food being food you had a gazillion times as a kid...), I'd call this comfort food extraordinaire.  Comfort food x100.

Just for fun, here's the wikipedia definition of a bog:   A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens.

Food for thought, I'd say.  Read on:




From Gourmet Live's 50 Women Food-Changers, #32 Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian (of the Edible Communities magazines fame) comes this jambalaya or sopa seca-like dish that will be one of your go-tos for days like Super Bowl or Book Club Supper.  Or make it just for you; halved it was a beautiful supper for two with lovely lunch leftovers.

Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian published the book Edible, A Celebration of Local Foods in 2010 after a long and successful career designing, writing, and publishing locavore food magazines.... (as well as lots of other impressive things)  Local peeps are familiar with the free edible TWIN CITIES.

In Tracey's own words....

Then, in 2002, we decided to launch our first magazine, Edible Ojai, which was very well received. From 2002 to 2004, we worked on a plan to expand and have multiple magazines, calling it Edible Communities. In the early stages of that plan, we thought we would do the additional magazines ourselves, perhaps up and down the California coast. Then, in January of 2004, Saveur magazine included Edible Ojai in their "Top 100" for the year and within a week of that issue hitting newsstands, we had calls from over 400 people asking us for an Edible magazine in their community. That is when we decided it would be better to change the model so that each magazine could be locally owned and operated by people in the communities we published in.
Edible Communities officially started in May 2004, with the launch of Edible Cape Cod. (courtesy dailygreen.com -- Read more) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hence the eventual cookbook and hence our sweet bog recipe. Buy the stuff; make it soon!

by the way:  sullivan's island is near charleston, south carolina

                          sullivan's island shrimp bog : 6 servings        

   Cooks's Note:   I halved this and made it in a 3.5 qt cast iron, lidded pot:  we couldn't stop eating it.  There was plenty for two of us and probably enough left for tomorrow's lunch if Dave doesn't get up in the middle of the night and eat it.  fyi  I exactly halved the spices (as well as all else) and we found them perfect--a bit spicy without being too hot.  This is perky, bright and addictive.  Drink beer with this unless  you have a great off-dry riesling.

ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne, plus more if needed
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 pounds medium shrimp (40 count), shelled and deveined I used cooked shrimp in shells
• 1/4 cup very finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

procedures

1. In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the rice well under cold running water. Drain well; set aside.

2.In a large heavy Dutch oven or stockpot, cook the bacon over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined dish; set aside. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat remaining in the pot. Add the onions to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the drained rice, salt, nutmeg, black pepper, and cayenne and stir for 1 minute.

3.      Stir in the broth, tomatoes with liquid, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Stir in the cooked bacon and the shrimp and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp is cooked through, adding more broth if the rice seems to be drying out, about 10 minutes. Stir the bog with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve immediately.

Check out how the other bloggers are honoring the 50 Women Game-Changers:
                                                     *******************

Sue - The View from Great Island   
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden              
Heather - girlichef
Miranda of Mangoes and Chutney 
 Mary - One Perfect Bite
Barbara - Movable Feasts              
Jeanette - Healthy Living
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda              
Linda A - There and Back Again
Martha - Lines from Linderhof       
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits,
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen     
Annie - Lovely Things
Nancy - Picadillo                        
Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook

Val - More Than Burnt Toast       
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
                                                   ***************************

If you liked this recipe, you might like:

Jambalaya 

Risotto

Two-Dog Kitchen and Around the 'Hood return next post,friends.  But while the pups are off, listen to a great young singer I'm listening to tonight... Jeremy Anderson.  His new album is out (click on his name)  and he does all the tracks himself.  Sometimes 12!! He's got some music on itunes, too.

 Sing a new song, make this shrimp and listen to Jeremy,
Alyce