Lowcountry Red Rice

This delicious side dish can be prepared with a rice steamer or in the oven in a Dutch oven.Originally from a January 2007 issue of Southern Living. Occasional stirring is a must, as the tomato paste tends to scorch.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 9  slices bacon
• 1  small onion, diced
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
• 2  teaspoons sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 2  cups long-grain rice, uncooked
•  fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions

1. Cook bacon slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.
2. Remove bacon,and drain on paper towels,reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings in skillet.
3. Crumble bacon; set aside.
4. Saute diced onion in hot drippings in skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until tender but not browned.
5. Add tomato paste to skillet, stirring until mixture is smooth.
6. Gradually stir in the chicken broth, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet.
7. Stir in sugar, salt and pepper.
8. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
9. Combine tomato mixture and rice in top portion of a cooktop rice steamer; stir in crumbled bacon.
10. Add water to bottom of steamer, and bring to boil over high heat.
11. Place top of steamer over boiling water.
12. Reduce heat to medium-high; cover and cook 1 hour or until rice is tender, stirring every 15 minutes.
13. To prepare in oven, stir the rice into the tomato mixture in the skillet and bring to a boil; stir in bacon pieces. Pour mixture into a lightly greased oven-proof Dutch oven. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.