Diri ak Djon Djon (Rice and Black Mushroom)

We often reserve this recipe for special occasions.  This is a cultural food that many Haitians love.

3 cups of long grain rice

Djon djon bag or processed cubes

½ to l lb of medium shrimp

(Cleaned and de-veined)

1 package of frozen peas (defrosted)

(Frozen Lima Beans may be substituted)

¼ cup of red pepper

¼ cup of green pepper

1 tsp of Salt

*1 Scotch Bonnet/Habanero pepper

2 cloves of garlic

½ tsp of black pepper

¼ of a large white onion diced

1 sprig of thyme

1 sprig of parsley

3 slices of bacon

¼- ½ cup of oil

**Chicken bouillon cube

Boil 2 ½ cups of water and pour over the mushroom and let it sit for ½ hour.  Drain the mushroom through a strainer and squeeze the dark liquid out.  This dark liquid will be used for cooking the rice.  This is what gives it the dark color.  If you are using the prepared cubes place one or two cubes in a deep bowl and pour hot water over it with the bouillon cube and let it dissolve. Chop bacon and sauté in a two quart saucepan till light brown. Add oil and heat.  Sauté shrimp onions, red peppers, green peppers, and garlic in oil mixture until vegetables are tender and shrimp is cooked.  Add the peas and sauté for about five minutes adding black pepper, thyme, hot pepper and parsley.  You may want to add extra oil at this point.  Add the liquid mixture and bring it to a rolling boil.  Then add the rice and stir gently.

Cook until the liquid is just totally gone then quickly reduce heat to low and cover and cook another 15-20 minutes or when the rice is fluffy and light.

*Be careful not to puncture or squash your hot pepper it may make the dish too hot.

**We have found that adding a chicken bouillon cube to the liquid adds extra flavor.  Since bouillon has extra salt you may want to reduce the amount of salt to your taste.