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Recipe Detail Page
Shrimp & Chicken Jambalaya
Winter 2009
The name for this traditional Louisiana dish derives from jambon, the French word for ham, and alaya which means rice in an African dialect. For a milder dish, choose sweet chorizo or, to bump up the spice, use hot sausage and increase the cayenne to ½ tsp (2 mL). Converted rice, such as Uncle Ben’s, works well in this recipe as the individual grains remain separate and don’t become mushy.
Serves 8
3 tbsp (45 mL) vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
8 oz (250 g) cooked chorizo sausage, cut into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 small sweet red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
¼ tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper
¼ tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
6 whole cloves2 bay leaves
2 cups (500 mL) long-grain rice
1 can (796 mL) diced tomatoes
2 cups (500 mL) low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup (50 mL) tomato paste
1 lb (500 g) large (31 to 40 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup (50 mL) each finely chopped green onions and parsley
Hot pepper sauce (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. In a large flameproof casserole or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp (25 mL) oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken and sausage in batches for 2 to 4 minutes until browned on all sides (chicken won’t be completely cooked), removing to a plate as each batch browns.
3. Add remaining oil to pot; reduce heat to medium. Cook onion, celery and pepper for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are softened but not browned. Stir in garlic, thyme, salt, cayenne, black pepper, cloves and bay leaves; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
4. Stir in rice; cook, stirring, for 1 minute until rice is coated with vegetable mixture. Stir in tomatoes (with their juice), broth and tomato paste. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Return chicken and sausage to pot, along with any juices that have accumulated on plate. Bring to a boil; stir well. Cover with lid; transfer to oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until rice is tender and most of liquid has been absorbed.
5. Gently stir in shrimp. Replace lid; return to oven for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes, until shrimp are pink and just firm. Discard bay leaves. Season with salt, cayenne and pepper to taste. Spoon jambalaya into a shallow serving dish; sprinkle with green onions and parsley. Serve at once with hot pepper sauce on the side.
Serves 8
