Originally this dish, like so many dishes that have become classics, was designed to use up leftovers. The dish stands in the great tradition of frugal cooks who could not afford to throw anything away, or in the more profound tradition, that good community of cooks who refused to throw out any edible leftovers. This bit of Cajun ingenuity is now common all over New Orleans, and there are as many variations on this dish as any one I know. I think I love them all!

Place the spareribs on a broiling rack and bake them in a 400° oven until brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

In the meantime heat a large frying pan and add the oil. Saut? the yellow onion, green peppers, garlic, celery, and green onion until all is tender. Place the vegetables and the ribs in a 12-quart stockpot, along with the tomatoes and chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Pan-fry the sliced sausage until it just begins to brown. Deglaze the pan with a bit of the broth and add the pan drippings to the stockpot. Set the sausage aside.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the sausage and rice, and simmer, covered, for another 20 minutes. Add the sausage and rice and simmer for 25 minutes. Correct the seasoning with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

From <The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American>. Downloaded from Glen's Mm Recipe Archive, http://www. Erols. Com/hosey.