Jambalaya

Wow.  This dish is amazing.  A true Southern soul food which has taken me by storm. It's similar to a good paella or gumbo but easier in many ways as the rice is cooked in the same pot with stock, the vegetables and meat and seafood.  You don't use okra either in a traditional Jambalaya which makes it super easy. This is spicy and  has a party of flavours happening - it is just awesome, I love it.  I didn't serve this to the girls but they ate some of the core components before they were melded with the beautiful southern creole seasoning.  I think next time I will, I'll just go easy on the spices on the chicken for them.  The tomato flavor is gentle but complex enough with the peppers and onion so I think they'd enjoy it, they love risottos so it wouldn't be a big stretch for them. 

I had all these spices in my cupboard already, so I made up the full 2/3 cup mix ready for another time.  I can see now I will be making this again and again.  

Ingredients:
12 medium peeled, deveined and chopped shrimp/prawns
2 chicken thighs, chopped/diced
1-2 tblspn creole seasoning (see below)
2 tblspn olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1/3 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup celery stalk, diced
2 tblspn garlic, crushed
1 tin diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
2 tspn worcestershire sauce
1 tspn tabasco
3/4 cup rice
3 andouille sausages, sliced (substitutes are difficult: it has to be heavily smoked and spicy, so perhaps a good spanish chorizo except the texture isn't quite right or perhaps a spicy kielbasa)
salt and pepper

Creole cajun seasoning: makes 2/3 cups
2 1/2 tblspn paprika
2 tblspn salt
2 tblspn garlic powder
1 tblspn black pepper
1 tblspn onion powder
1 tblpsn cayenne pepper
1 tblspn oregano
1 tblspn thyme

Method:

• In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces and sliced sausages with the creole seasoning. Keep the shrimp in a separate bowl with its own creole seasoning.
• In a large saucepan, wok or soup pot, heat the oil and cook off the onions for 2-3mins
• Add the celery and peppers and cook until tender

• Add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf and worcestershire sauce and tobasco sauce
• Stir in the rice, and add the stock in 2/3 cups at a time and continue to stir,  I added more stock once the first had been absorbed almost like a risotto.
• Add the chicken and sausage and stir until almost cooked.  You could add more stock or even another tin of tomatoes, pureed if you want it looser or more soup like but I thought this was spot on.

• Now add the shrimp, you don't want these overcooked and tough so only add them when you almost ready to serve.  I forgot to cut the tails off mine but I will next time as it made for a bit of fiddling around.
• Season to your taste with more creole seasoning, salt and pepper