Jambalaya from Typhoid Mary

Back in September we visited my sister Jenn and her family in the Big Easy. There we ate jambalaya for the first time. There we fell in love...with it. And on an unrelated note we also held baby alligators for the first time and then came home with a terrible bacterial infection and almost died. Not from the gators. From Jenn's family. They're a bunch of Typhoid Marys...I love you Jenn.

I wasn't kidding. We really did.

But I digress...

Last night I made some amaaaazing Jambalaya, recipe courtesy of Jenn. She is an amazing cook, as was coincidentally, Typhoid Mary! But seriously I must share. If you have never had it before I'll describe it for you. Jambalaya is an awesome one-pot rice dish with bell peppers, aromatics, spicy cayenne, and an assortment of meats or seafood. 

This recipe calls for chicken and andouille sausage which I can appreciate because I'm not a fan of shrimp. Odd though that I call my son "shrimp"...anyway...I made a few changes to the recipe for my own personal preferences. I halved the sausage as well as the cayenne. I also doubled the green bell peppers. That's how we like it - more veggies and less meat - but make it how you want to eat it. I halved the cayenne because I'm not a huge fan of spice plus whatever we are eating needs to be 15-month-old palate friendly. Oh and I halved the oil too because...well it was an accident...but with the fat that rendered from the sausage it was definitely NOT missed. Yay health. 

Jambalaya - Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse. Bam!

1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp minced shallots

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 cups bell peppers

3 tsp salt, divided

1 tsp cayenne pepper

8 oz. Andouille sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices 

1 lb. chicken meat (we used breasts but that's all we had)

3 bay leaves

3 cups long-grain rice (brown rice does work, just add a little more water and let it cook at little longer)

6 cups water

1 cup chopped green onions (for garnish)

Directions

Heat the oil in a large heavy stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, shallots, garlic, bell pepper, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1/2 tsp of the cayenne. Stir and brown the vegetables for about 10-15 minutes, or until they reach a dark caramelized color. Add the sausage and continue the browning process, stirring often and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles, cooking for about 8 more minutes. Season the chicken with the remaining salt and cayenne. Add to the pot with bay leaves. Add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes, until coated with fat. Add the water, stir, and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 30-35 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 2-3 minutes. Garnish with green onions. Serve!

This was absolutely delicious. I am all about one pot meals - it's a lot less work when Terry cleans up and I am being completely serious. I cook. He cleans. That is how our marriage works.