Congree | Mrs. Carmen's Chowder Pea Jambalaya Manchac Cookbook Recipe
Baby, if you're from Louisiana and you don't know Congree, you missed some good eatin'.
This is a heritage recipe straight out of the Manchac cookbook — crowder peas, bacon-fried rice, and Gulf shrimp if you want it.
No roux, no complicated steps, just good straightforward Louisiana cooking the way Mrs. Carmen made it.
👉 Get the exact tools I use for this recipe: Shop Congree Essentials
Ingredients — What You Need
6-8 slices bacon, chopped — save all drippings
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb shelled crowder peas (fresh or frozen)
6 cups water or chicken stock
1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
1 lb Gulf shrimp, peeled, deveined (optional)
2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp cayenne
1 bunch green onions, chopped (garnish)
1 Tbsp Tony Chachere's seasoning
Instructions — How To Make It
Step 1: Bacon + Trinity — Start With Flavor Fry bacon until crisp in a 5-quart Dutch oven. Remove bacon and reserve all drippings. Sauté chopped onion and garlic in hot grease for 5 minutes until soft (don't brown).
Step 2: Peas Boil First Add crowder peas and 6 cups water/stock to pot. Return fried bacon. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook 20 minutes until peas are tender. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Step 3: Fry That Rice — The Manchac Cookbook Trick In a separate skillet, heat 2 Tbsp bacon drippings. Add uncooked rice and fry constantly 5-7 minutes until golden brown and nutty-smelling (don't burn).
Step 4: Add Rice + Simmer Dry Stir browned rice into pea pot. Cover and simmer on low 20 minutes until water is gone and rice is tender. Do not stir. Add ¼ cup hot water if needed.
Step 5: Shrimp Last — Nana's Addition Uncover. Stir in raw shrimp and half the green onions. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit 5 minutes so shrimp steam in hot rice.
Step 6: Fluff + Serve Fluff with fork. Taste and adjust seasoning. Top with remaining green onions. Serve hot with Tabasco and French bread.
Nana's Tips — Fix It Before You Serve It
Mushy rice: You stirred while simmering. Next time: low heat, no peek, no stir.
Peas hard: Frozen peas need 20 minutes; dry peas need 1 hour plus overnight soak.
Bland: Make sure your rice is properly fried, use enough bacon, and don't skip the Tony's seasoning.
Burnt bottom: Use lower heat; add water if sticking — don't scrape.
What are "chowder peas"? That's the old Cajun name for crowder peas/field peas — same ingredient, different name depending on who raised you.
No shrimp on hand? The original recipe was plain with meat and gravy — swap in smoked sausage, a ham hock, or Tasso instead.
Tasso: What It Is and How It's Made
- The Cut: Although it is commonly called "tasso ham," it is not actually ham. True ham comes from a pig's hind leg, but tasso is made from the pork shoulder (or pork butt).
- The Process: The pork shoulder is sliced into thick strips, given a brief salt-and-sugar cure, heavily rubbed with fiery Cajun spices (like cayenne pepper, garlic, and paprika), and then hot-smoked over hardwood until fully cooked.
How to Serve & Store
Serve it with: Fried pork chops, smothered chicken, or round steak for a full Sunday dinner. Or let the shrimp version stand alone as the main dish with cornbread, sliced garden tomatoes, and raw chopped onions on the side.
Store: Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Reheat: Add a splash of water or stock and reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
If using shrimp, reheat gently — high heat will turn it rubbery.
Freeze: The rice and pea base freezes well up to 2 months. If you made it with shrimp, it's best to freeze before adding the shrimp and stir in fresh shrimp when you reheat, since shrimp doesn't freeze and reheat well.
Make ahead: You can fry the rice and cook the peas a day ahead, then combine and finish with shrimp right before serving.
Nutrition Information — Estimated Per Serving
Based on 8 servings, made with shrimp.
Estimated using USDA database — for precise tracking, use your preferred nutrition calculator with your exact brands.
Calories: ~320 kcal
Protein: 18g
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 95mg
Carbohydrates: 40g
Fiber: 6g
Sugar: 2g
Sodium: ~750mg — varies with Tony's seasoning and stock used
For precise tracking, use your preferred nutrition calculator with your exact brands and portion sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are chowder peas, and can I use another kind of pea?
Chowder peas are just the old Cajun name for crowder peas (also called field peas) — same ingredient. If you can't find crowder peas, black-eyed peas or purple hull peas work as a substitute, though the flavor and texture will shift slightly.
Can I make Congree without shrimp?
Yes — the original Manchac cookbook version was plain, made with meat and gravy instead. Smoked sausage, a ham hock, or Tasso all work beautifully in place of shrimp if you want a heartier, meatier version.
What's the difference between Congree and Hoppin' John?
Hoppin' John uses black-eyed peas and the rice is boiled plain, not fried. Congree uses crowder peas and the Manchac cookbook trick of frying the rice in bacon drippings first — that fried-rice step is what gives Congree its signature nutty flavor and texture.
Why did my rice turn out mushy?
You likely stirred while it was simmering, or the heat was too high. Once you add the fried rice back to the pot, cover it, keep the heat low, and don't peek or stir until the time is up — the rice needs to steam undisturbed.
Can I use dry crowder peas instead of fresh or frozen?
Yes, but dry peas need about an hour of cooking time plus an overnight soak first. Fresh or frozen peas only need about 20 minutes, so
adjust your timeline accordingly if you're starting with dry peas.
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