Jambalaya

Hello lovely readers! After far too long, it's time for a new recipe... Jambalaya! Having grown up primarily outside of the United States, I was ashamed to realize that I'd never actually tried this delicious dish before. However, with a recipe this easy, I can safely say I'll be repeating the experience as often as possible! 

An export of Louisiana Creole country, this spicy and filling dinner was surprisingly quick and easy to knock together - chopping up the ingredients was the most time consuming element. Although most recipes use Andouille sausage, I went with this recipe's suggestion of chorizo since it's much easier to come by here in Britain. However, I'm sure this version would work equally well with either ingredient. 

Please don't be put off by the long list of ingredients! Although it looks like it could add up at the supermarket, you'll be surprised at how many items you probably already have - such as the garlic, spices, stock and rice. Also, this recipe calls for chicken, chorizo and prawns but you could easily skip the prawns if you prefer. Finally, I've tried this recipe with both canned tomatoes and fresh ones and didn't see any difference between the two so use whatever is more convenient. 

Recipe via www.hairybikers.com

Prep Time: 5 - 10 min

Cook Time: 20 - 30 min

Serves: 6

Ingredients: 

4 large chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
200g chorizo, outer skin removed and chopped
Olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 large celery sticks, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
5 large tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can of chopped tomatoes)
3-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
200g long-grain rice (easy cook version)
450ml chicken stock
150g cooked and peeled prawns (or shrimp if you're American)
6 spring onions, sliced
salt
pepper
Fresh coriander/cilantro

Method: 

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the chicken for three to five minutes until starting to brown. Add the chorizo and cook for a minute until fragrant. Remove the chicken and chorizo from the pot and set aside.

Next, remove most of the oil from the pot - leaving just enough to sauté the vegetables (about a tablespoon). Stir in the onion, celery and peppers. Over a low heat, cook the vegetables for eight to ten minutes until they soften, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the pot.

When the vegetables are ready, stir in the spices. After a minute, add in the chopped tomatoes and their juice. Increase the heat to medium and cook for five minutes or until the tomatoes have softened.

Add the chicken and chorizo back into the pan along with the rice. Cook for a minute, stirring to make sure the rice is fully incorporated. Next pour over the stock and add salt and pepper to taste.

Bring the pot to a simmer and cook for ten minutes or until the rice is ready, stirring occasionally. The rice will absorb most of the liquid but if the pot is looking too dry, add a little more stock and stir to combine.

Finally, stir in the prawns/shrimp and the spring onions and cook for about two minutes or until the prawns have heated through.

Serve with a sprinkle of coriander/cilantro and enjoy!