Recipe Diri ak djon djon

Diri ak djon djon

Diri ak djon djon Haitian Creole for rice with mushrooms, is a native dish of Haiti. It is essentially a meal consisting of rice and edible black mushrooms called "djon djon".

The meal is more common in the northern region of the country and therefore can be considered a regional delicacy. When the mushrooms are boiled, they release a grayish-black coloring giving the rice its gray color and the dish's distinctive flavor. The dish is often served with some sort of meat whether it be fish, chicken or shrimp (usually mixed in the rice).

Ingredients:

2 cups djon-djons mushrooms or 2 cups dried mushrooms

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or 2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed & minced

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed with cold water

2 teaspoons salt

4 cloves

12 ounces fresh lima beans or 12 ounces frozen lima beans, & or 12 ounces green peas

1 -2 sprig thyme

1 green scotch bonnet pepper

In a small saucepan soak mushrooms in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes. Boil mushrooms on low heat 10 minutes. Strain the mushrooms through a very fine sieve, discard the mushrooms, & reserve the liquid. Add oil to pot on medium heat. Stir in garlic, onion & shallot for 2 minutes. Add rice and stir for 3 minutes. Add mushroom water, salt, cloves, and lima beans and peas, if using. Bring to boil until water evaporates. Lower heat, stir rice and place Scotch Bonnet pepper and thyme on top of rice. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on simmer. Remove hot pepper and thyme. Stir and serve.