Cookies and Catwalks

The infamous Bourbon St. courtesy of pompoB on flickr

Ah, Jambalaya. The taste of the south. When its Spanish cousin immigrated to the States without its most essential ingredient (Saffron), Paella transformed into this spicy, new-world version that carries with it the flare of New Orleans.

This is a great recipe for jambalaya. I find it really holds the flavour of Louisana Hot Sauce but, because of its slow simmer, the spice quiets down and we're left with the sweet goodness of the cayenne pepper. And it has beer in it. I say if a recipe has beer in it, you can't go wrong. I like to go all the way and use Guinness but any beer will do.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya


photo courtesy of guillotinehead on flickr

1 pkg chicken thighs (6 count)
Generous amount of Frank's Red Hot Sauce (not Tabasco)
Flour to coat chicken
Salt, pepper, garlic powder (to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil
6 mild italian sausages; in chunks
5 stalks celery, chopped
3 large white onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Thyme
A handful of chopped parsley
2 cups brown rice
3 cups water
1 Guinness (or other beer)
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Soak the chicken in Red Hot Sauce. Let sit for 15 minutes or so.

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot. Place the flour in a paper bag along with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place a couple of pieces of chicken at a time into the bag and shake to coat.

Fry the chicken in the oil until golden brown. Don't worry about cooking it all the way through just yet. Remove the chicken. Now place the onions, celery and garlic into the pot along with a bit more oil if necessary. Saute until the onions are transparent, scraping the bottom of the pot often. Add the rosemary, thyme and parsley and cook for a minute or so.

Place the sausage chunks and a little water (or beer!) into the pot and mix well with the vegetables. Cook for ten minutes. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes (until the chicken is tender and sausage no longer pink).

Stir the mixture frequently, always scraping the bottom to keep things from burning (break the chicken up a bit with the spatula as it cooks. It should break up naturally as the dish cooks, but this just helps things a little).

When the chicken is cooked, add the rice and stir to combine. Pour the warm beer and the water in and stir things for another minute or so. Simmer on low and cover until the rice is tender (about an hour or more). Stir the mixture every now and then, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add more beer or water if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste.