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Jambalaya

This has become a family favourite. There is nothing better than a big bowl of a one pot Jambalaya on a crisp night and thanks to my American Step-Dad who loves his Jazz and the food that works alongside it, we have adopted a US dish into our home repertoire of yummy 'family meals'. Feel free to adapt to what you have in the cupboard, fridge or freezer. This meal lends itself to creative adaptations.

Ingredients

  • 5-6 chicken thighs - cut into large bite sized chunks
  • sea salt
  • black pepper - ground
  • cayenne pepper - ground
  • olive oil
  • 250 g chorizo - or other spicy sausage chopped into chunks
  • 1 onion - peeled and chopped
  • 2 capsicum - deseeded and chopped
  • 3 sticks celery - chopped
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 sprigs marjoram
  • 4 cloves garlic - sliced
  • 1 fresh red chilli - finely chopped
  • 400 g tin tomatoes
  • 1 litre chicken stock
  • 500 g long grain rice
  • 12 prawns - can use frozen
  • 1 cup fresh herbs - chopped

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and cayenne.
  2. Pour 4 tbs olive oil into a large wok.
  3. Brown the chicken thigh pieces and sausage until the chicken is browned all over.
  4. Add onion, capsicum, celery, marjoram, bay leaves and fry over a medium flame for around 10 minutes - keep stirring from time to time. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Add the garlic and chilli, tomatoes and stock and stir to amalgamate.
  6. Bring to the boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cover to cook for 20-25 minutes.
  7. Add the rice, stir it all to mix and return the lid to the pan.
  8. Cook for 15-20 minutes. You can stir as you go, returning the lid between stirs. The rice needs to be firm to bite but cooked.
  9. Add the prawns and stir to cook until they turn pink.
  10. Chop up a large handful of parsley, thyme or marjoram and add to the top of the Jambalaya.
  11. Serve straight from the wok.