Jambalaya

 

This week we explore a spicier dish!  Wikipedia tells me there are two general styles of Jambalaya.  The way I make it is closer to the Creole style (because of my use of tomatoes).  For this one, my dad was cooking with me, which is always awesome!

My ingredient list this week was:

• Boneless chicken thighs (I used about 2 1/2 lbs)
• Kielbasa (about 1/2 lb)
• 1 Sweet Onion
• Celery (about 4 stalks)
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 3 Anaheim Peppers
• 28 oz can of Whole Peeled Tomatoes
• 1 Head of Garlic (I got one from a farmer's market, and it had four huge cloves)
• Butter
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (I used medium-grain white)
• Spices:
• 2 Tsp Cayenne
• 1 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tsp Thyme
• 1 Tbsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp Sage
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Mustard
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Oregano

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit .

Now it is time for the prep work.  Chop up your celery, onion, and peppers.  This combination is referred to as "the trinity".  This also usually doesn't consist of Anaheim peppers, but I was using what I had growing in my garden (which is also why my 'green' bell pepper is somewhere between green and red).

Cut up your kielbasa and chicken (we cut the chicken into thirds).  Separate the tomato juice from the canned tomatoes into a bowl.  Cut the tomatoes in the can, and you should be able to separate more of the juice after.  Set the bowl aside, this will be used later.

Also, mince your garlic.  I used a whole head of garlic, which consisted of four huge cloves.  My father brought this back from the farmer's market in Peekskill, NY, which is where he sells his cheese.  I don't know what the variety is.  Whatever it was, it was delicious!

Now is also a good time to mix all of the spices together.

Once all the prep work is done, it is time to start cooking everything!  Heat your pan to medium-high heat, and add about 2 Tbsp butter to the pan.  Once melted, brown the kielbasa.

When browned, add the chicken thighs.  After the chicken has also started to brown (no more pink on the outside), add the spice mix and half of each of the trinity (onion, peppers, and celery).  Then stir like crazy until the vegetables simmer down.  This could take about 5-8 minutes depending on how hot the stove is.

 When it gets close to being simmered down add the garlic, then tomatoes, and finally the rice.  Once the rice is added, take off the heat and add the liquids (measure how much tomato juice you have, and top it off with water until the total quantity is 2 1/2 cups).  Then add the rest of the trinity and put the whole pot into the oven.

Next is a very important step.  Grab a beer (or drink of choice or legality) and play Skyrim while the timer is set for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, add 1/2 cup of water, and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes.  Once the time is up, take it out of the oven, stir thoroughly, and taste to see if the rice is fully cooked.  If the rice is to your liking, let it sit for 5 minutes and serve!  This is a great meal for colder days, especially with it being both warm and spicy.