Jambalaya

Jambalaya

Here is the original Jambalaya recipe

(As modified by Carol Schmidt):

¼ pound of bacon cut in 1 inch pieces (from Lee Menus at Wild Turkey Farms)

½ cup finely chopped onions

½ medium-sized green peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch strips (from Sheila Green)

1 cup of raw rice

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

A 1pound 3 ounce can whole pack tomatoes, drained and finely chopped

½ teaspoon of thyme

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 cups of chicken stock, fresh or canned

½ pound of cooked ham cut into 2 –inch by ½-inch strips

1 pound of medium-sized raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley

Before I get into the method of cooking, I want to let you know what I did to change the recipe:

1.    I used the 1 pound-3 oz can of diced tomatoes instead of the whole tomatoes. 

2.  I substituted Chorizo or Andouille sausage for the ham, same amount ½ pound, cut into bite-sized pieces. The sausage was bought from both Lee at Wild Turkey and Amy Foster at Gilcrest Farms from Davidson Market)  

3. I added small clams along with the shrimp, both bought at Piedmont from Jamie at Lucky Fish Seafood. 

4.  If you are making a chicken Jambalaya instead of the fish one, add 2 thighs, deboned  and one boneless chicken breast cut into 1/2 – inch chunks.(chicken from Amy Foster) 

5. I use brown rice 

6. If you are only making one dish you can add shelf fish at the same time you add the chicken breasts and have chicken and shell fish Jambalaya

7. I do not have a casserole dish that is safe to use on the stove top, so I followed the directions, but transferred everything to a baking dish to cook.  This may cut into the cooking time a little bit.

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a 3-4 quart casserole, fry the bacon over moderate heat until it has rendered its fat and is brown but not crisp.  Drain on paper towels and reserve.  

Add the sausages and cook until browned but not burned.  Add to the bacon on paper towels.   

Add the onions to the fat in the pan and cook them for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are transparent but not browned. 

Mix in the chicken thighs and cook until browned, but not burned; then add the green pepper strips cook for just a few minutes just as the green peppers are wilting slightly.  

Add the rice and stir until the grains become somewhat opaque and milky.  

Then add the garlic, tomatoes, bacon, thyme, salt, and a few grindings of black pepper, stirring them all together thoroughly.  

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Cover the casserole tightly and place on the lower level of the oven.  

After 10 minutes, add the chicken breast pieces and push down under the rice.  Continue cooking until all of the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender.  If at any point the rice appears dry, add additional hot chicken stock or hot water a few tablespoons at a time.  

Serve from the casserole or mound the Jambalaya on a large, heated platter.  Garnish with the chopped parsley.