Vietnamese-Cajun Fried Rice

Prepare the Broth: Heat oil in a medium nonstick pot over medium-high. Add sliced shallots and chopped garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add fresh sausage. Cook, stirring with a spoon to break up sausage, until slightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add bell pepper, celery, tomato, fish sauce, basil, thyme, oregano, and cumin. Cook, stirring often, 3 minutes. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil over high.

Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, undisturbed, 20 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large heatproof bowl, pressing mixture with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Store strained Broth, covered, in refrigerator until ready to use or up to 3 days. (If desired, refrigerate strained Broth overnight; skim and discard fat that rises to the top.)

Prepare the rice: Rinse rice in a colander under cold water until water runs clean; drain. Cook rice and 2 1/4 cups of the Broth in a rice cooker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Reserve remaining Broth for another use. (Alternative stove-top method: Place rice and 3 1/2 cups of the Broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook, undisturbed, 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes.)

Spread out cooked rice in a single layer on a baking sheet. Let cool completely, 1 to 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to overnight.

Remove rice from refrigerator. Lightly separate grains using your hands until no clumps remain. Set aside.

Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high. Add smoked sausages, and boil until water evaporates, about 6 minutes. Continue cooking sausages in dry saucepan, shaking pan to roll sausages around, until they turn slightly brown, about 1 minute. Remove from saucepan, and let cool 5 minutes. Slice thinly into rounds, or cut into cubes. Set aside.

Melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in a very large nonstick pan over high. Add 2 tablespoons of the chopped garlic. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in shrimp. Cook, stirring often, until shrimp are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and quickly transfer mixture to a large bowl. Set aside.

Add 1/2 tablespoon of the butter to saucepan over high. Add chopped celery and 1/8 teaspoon each of the Cajun seasoning and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until celery starts to soften, about 1 minute. Transfer celery mixture to shrimp mixture in bowl. Repeat process using 1/2 tablespoon of the butter, chopped sugar snap peas, 1/8 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Wipe saucepan clean, and add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over high. Add diced shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add rice and remaining 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Add soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, and stir well to combine. Taste, and add more salt or Cajun seasoning if desired.

Move rice mixture to sides of saucepan using a spatula, leaving an empty spot in middle of saucepan. Add half of the beaten eggs. Cook over high, stirring after eggs begin to set and scraping eggs from the outside inward, until eggs are cooked and scrambled, 2 to 3 minutes. Break up eggs, and fold into rice mixture, stirring well to mix. Repeat process using remaining beaten eggs.

Stir cooked sausage pieces into rice mixture, and cook over high, stirring until incorporated, 1 minute. Add cooked vegetable-shrimp mixture, diced tomatoes, and sliced scallions, and stir to combine. Remove Fried Rice from heat. Serve hot with hot sauce.