Jambalaya

Great Jambalaya recipe, takes a little over an hr. Shout out to Mara for basic recipe.

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya                                               

Serves a pool party

• 1 large onion
• 5  celery ribs
• 2 med red bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 12-16 ounces andouille sausage (typical pack of 2, they vary more is better)
• 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1  tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• teaspoon + of old bay seasoning
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup bottled clam juice (typical bottle)
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth thickish
• 2 large bay leaves or 3 lame ones
• 3/4 lb medium peeled shrimp

1. Dice the onion, celery, red pepper…set aside. Slice the andouille like thick pepperoni slices..set aside. Clean shrimp including tails…set aside
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
3. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook skin until golden brown.
4. Using tongs, turn the chicken and cook until golden brown on the second side. About 10 min total.
5. Transfer the chicken to a plate with a paper towel to absorb fat and set aside.  This is where you get the fat that you will keep
6. Reduce the heat to low and add the andouille; cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
7. Empty the fat into a cup. Put 2 tablespoons back in
8. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the vegetables, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
9. Add the rice, salt, thyme, and old bay; cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Old bay is based on heat/flavor profile….totally yer call. Don’t overdo it, you can always add later.
10. Add tomatoes, clam juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, and browned sausage to the pot. Turn heat up, cover and cook for several minutes to get back to a light boil/heavy simmer for a few minutes.
11. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken; place the chicken, previously skinned-side down in pot on top of all the love. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes.
12. Remove chicken, stir, scrape the bottom and put chicken back in on the other side. Replace the cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is no longer pink when cut into with a paring knife, about 12 minutes more.
13. Set aside chicken.
14. Scatter the shrimp over the rice, cover, and continue to cook until the rice is fully tender and the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes more. Don’t overcook the shrimp.
15. While the shrimp are cooking, using forks, de-bone the chicken into small, somewhat shredded pieces.
16. Put back in with the now barely done shrimp. Stir and discard the bay leaves.
17. BAM

Ways to screw it up:

• too much vegetable oil w chicken at outset, the chicken skin will give you a lot of fat.  also dont leave more than the 2 tbsp of total oil in the mix
• too much old bay, don’t kill it, you can always add hot sauce at the table
• too much shrimp
• overcooking the shrimp…needs to be juicy and wonderful remember it will keep cooking a touch once you mix into the hot jambalaya.