Jambalaya

What started as a Louisiana favorite didn’t take long, justly so, to become a favorite everywhere.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

⁻ ᵃᵈᵃᵖᵗᵉᵈ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᴹᵃʳᵗʰᵃ ˢᵗᵉʷᵃʳᵗ ᴸᶦᵛᶦⁿᵍ, ᶠᵉᵇʳᵘᵃʳʸ ²⁰⁰⁷

Another case of finding a recipe closest to how I’ve been making it for (too many) years; because I want to leave appropriate measurements and all 😜

I did a couple things different mostly because of my family members (one being a teenager) who doesn’t like (or won’t be as happy with) some veggies; in this case…celery and green peppers. I trick them by pulverizing them in the food processor. Ha! Where there’s a will there’s a way. And maybe I should but don’t cook and set aside; I push cooked to sides of pot, making a well for next ingredient

And instead of Bay seasoning I use Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning

Jambalaya, a one-pot New Orleans favorite, always includes meat or seafood and vegetables; this easy rendition is full of chicken, spicy andouille sausage, bell pepper, and onion.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
• 3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup long-grain rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Cut into 3/4-inch pieces; set aside.

2. Add vegetables to pot. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add sausage; cook 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in stock, Old Bay, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Add rice and chicken. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand until rice is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.