Diri ak Djon Djon

Diri ak Djon Djon (Haitian Black Mushroom Rice)

A celebratory dish from northern Haiti, where rice is cooked in the dark, earthy liquid of dried djon djon mushrooms, giving it a striking black color and deep flavor, often paired with shrimp and lima beans.

Prep

15 min

Cook

40 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •30 g (1 oz) dried djon djon mushrooms, If unavailable, substitute dried porcini or black trumpet mushrooms; the color will be lighter.
• •500 ml (2 cups) water
• •300 g (1½ cups) long-grain rice (e.g., jasmine), Rinse and drain before use.
• •200 g (7 oz) shrimp, peeled and deveined, Raw or frozen-thawed; ensure fully cooked before serving.
• •150 g (¾ cup) cooked lima beans, Canned or boiled; if using dried, cook fully until tender.
• •1 medium onion, finely chopped
• •3 cloves garlic, minced
• •2 sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ tsp dried thyme.
• •1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper, Optional, for heat; keep intact and remove before serving.
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil
• •salt, to taste
• •black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Place the dried djon djon mushrooms in a bowl with 500 ml water. Soak for 30 minutes, pressing gently to release grit. Drain, reserving the soaking water. Rinse the mushrooms under cold running water to remove any remaining grit, then place them in a small saucepan with the reserved soaking water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the mushrooms to extract all the liquid. Discard the mushrooms (or reserve for another use) and set the dark liquid aside; you should have about 400 ml (1¾ cups). If less, add water to make 400 ml.
2. 2 In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme sprigs, and Scotch bonnet pepper (if using), and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. 3 Add the rinsed rice to the pot and stir to coat with the oil and aromatics. Toast the rice for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the grains are slightly translucent and smell nutty.
4. 4 Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid (400 ml) and add 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste). Stir once, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and cook undisturbed for 18–20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
5. 5 While the rice cooks, season the shrimp with salt and pepper. In a separate skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the shrimp for 2–3 minutes per side until they turn pink, opaque, and firm to the touch (internal temperature should reach 145°F / 63°C). Add the cooked lima beans to the pan and warm through for 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. 6 Remove the thyme sprigs and Scotch bonnet pepper from the rice. Gently fold the shrimp and lima beans into the rice with a fork, taking care not to mash the rice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
7. 7 Serve hot. The rice should be deeply colored, fragrant, and each grain separate. If you prefer a more intense mushroom flavor, you can increase the djon djon amount by 10 g, but note that the rice may become slightly sticky.