JAMBALAYA with Chicken and Andouille Sausage

Every cook has his or her own special recipe for Jambalaya. We each put our own spin on it and you can too. One of my favorite childhood memories was when our friends, Irene and Lucien, came to visit. They were a lovely, warm, sweet, generous couple and every time we visited with them, the house was filled with incredible scents of exotic food. They were originally from Louisiana and Lucien had been a professional cook all his life. I remember him as a very tall and serene gentleman. He didn't talk much, and I remember seeing him standing in the kitchen, calmly creating masterpieces of flavorful food. Irene was my idol. She was tiny, fearless and full of energy. She never let anyone get away with any bull and she didn't take nonsense from anybody. We shared the same birthday, September 22nd, although we were decades apart in age, we had a special connection.

I cherish memories of sitting down to a meal that took days to prepare. Nothing fancy, nothing fussy, just really good, down-home cooking! I treasure the recipes from those days and have one here that you can make at home.

Last weekend I put together a pot of Jambalaya in honor of Irene and Lucien, Mardi Gras and the Saints winning the Superbowl. Seemed like a perfect reason to cook. (but, then what isn't?)

So here is my version of Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to prepare this recipe. Allow at least 3 hours before you want to eat. This is not a difficult recipe, but it does take time. Get everyone involved! Share the preparation and share the love! Put your own twist on this recipe. Write and let me know how it turned out!

For a printable version of this recipe click here.
 
JAMBALAYA with Chicken and Andouille Sausage
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 links andouille sausage, chopped into small rounds or pieces
2 large, uncooked, chicken breasts, or 4 thighs, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups white rice
4 1/2 cups broth or water (or a combination of the two)
1 cup chopped green onions (for garnish)

Directions:
Chop the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, sausage and chicken. Measure the liquid. Measure the rice.

Heat a large, deep, heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil. After the oil is hot, add the trinity: onions, bell pepper and celery. Sprinkle a little salt to help the vegetables release their liquid. Stir and turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir every few minutes and let the vegetables carmelize. This takes about 20 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir.

For the Andouille Sausage, if you prefer round pieces, just leave them that way, or continue cutting for smaller pieces.

After the vegetables have caramelized, add the sausage and stir. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the meat is heated through.

For the chicken, be sure to use a separate cutting board and trim away any excess fat and gristle.

Add the chicken to the pot and let it cook for 8-10 minutes on medium-low heat. Keep stirring to prevent sticking or scorching.

Heat a separate pan on high, pour in the dry rice and let it toast for about 3-5 minutes. Stir to prevent burning. You will see the grains of rice turn whiter as they heat up and they appear to puff up a little.

Add the rice to the big pot and stir thoroughly. Pour in the liquid, the tomato paste, add a bay leaf and stir.

Cover with a well-fitting lid and reduce heat to low. Let it cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

Turn off the heat, remove the pot from the stove and let it stand for a few minutes with the lid on. When you remove the lid, this is what it should look like, moist but not soupy:

Remove the bay leaf. Chop the green onions. Serve the Jambalaya hot and sprinkle the onions on top. Enjoy!

Try this and let me know how it turned out! I'd love to hear about it and any other Louisiana cooking stories. Just click on "Comments" below.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG:
Bland flavor: taste as you go and add more seasoning if it needs it
Too spicy: to prevent this, know your preferences and don't add too much at first; you can always add more, but you can't take any out. I heard that if you put a peeled, raw potato into the pot, it will absorb excess salt, but I don't know if it would work with hot spices. If it does, let me know!
Wrong proportions of ingredients: too much rice, not enough meat; or vice-versa. Not a big crime. If you have more rice or meat, cook them separately and add to your big pot of Jambalaya until the ratio is correct. You may have to adjust the seasoning to compensate.
Everything is burned: well, that's a bummer. I know, I've done it. Sometimes you can salvage some of the recipe, but it if all tastes burnt, it will just have to be a learning experience. But, remember, you get a do-over.
Rice is under or over cooked: could be under-cooked because it needs more time, a bigger pot, more liquid or the heat was too low. Could be over-cooked because it cooked too long, had too much liquid or the heat was too high.