This dish is filling, spicy and full of cayenne flavor…oh yeah!
Oops. I meant to post this yesterday but I must have forgot somewhere between watching Maury Povich and Judge Judy. This happens a lot. I have the best of intentions and whoosh, I forget. Well, better late than never….right?
Now, I say this jambalaya is spicy but then again I’m not one of those crazy “I love everything hot hot hot hot” people. I added some cayenne pepper and made sure to buy extra spicy andouille sausage so to me, this was spicy.
I had never made jambalaya before so I was nervous it wouldn’t turn out right. I tend to have an aversion to meals made with rice because I have had bad luck with them in the past. There is just something about rice I cannot seem to get right. However, this time I think I got it right. The jambalaya was flavorful, meaty and most importantly the rice was cooked perfectly. Another great thing about this meal is that it was made in one pan and made the house smell amazing.
Enjoy!
Spicy Jambalaya
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 minced cloves garlic
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, minced
3 extra spicy andouille sausage links, cut in slices
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped
1 large bay leaf
1-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Start with less and add more if desired)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
1-1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Source: Epicurious
Directions:
Add oil to a large nonstick saucepan.
Over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until onion is translucent.
Add parsley, sausage, chicken, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add tomatoes (with juice), and chicken stock. Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Pour rice into the pan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid.
Stir in shrimp and cook 5 minutes more until shrimp is pink. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt.
Note: The recipe will turn out delicious even if you are a not a fan of shrimp. Simply take it out of the recipe and add in more chicken or spicy sausage.