Based on a
jambalaya recipe in an old issue of
Maxim, I took quite a few liberties with it; this creation gets its name from the fact that it has 'lessa' the stuff I don't like so much (no
shrimp or cooked
celery) and more of the stuff I do.
Supposedly, it's not jambalaya if it's missing those
two ingredients, but that doesn't bother me, this is
still quite tasty.
If you still want to make it more traditionally, and put in shrimp,
substitute 1 lb.
peeled and deveined shrimp for the extra 1/2 lbs. of
chicken and
sausage.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breast, chunked
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce, to taste.
- Hot sauce, to taste -- the original recipe called for 3 Tbsp tabasco, but I prefer mine spicier -- I used ~1 Tbsp habanero sauce.
- 1/2 Tbsp thyme
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lb hot sausage, sliced -- chorizo is excellent.
- 1 1/2 c chopped onion
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped -- or more if you like it, they just tend to be bigger than the green, in the summertime, when I usually make this.
- 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
- 3c chicken broth -- use thoroughly disolved bullion cubes if you're lazy like me.
- 2 c. rice, uncooked
- 1 Tbsp cilantro
- 1/4 c. scallions chopped (optional)
Directions:
- Combine chicken, paprika, salt, pepper, thyme and
hot sauce. Heat oil in a *very large* pan; add sausage and
saute, stirring till brown.
- Add onions and saute for 5 more minutes.
- Add chicken mix, garlic, and peppers.
- Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and saute a few more minutes.
- Stir in everything else except the rice and cilantro; bring to boil -- although you might be wise, at this point, to move everything to a stock pot, if you've got one.
- Add rice, lower heat and cover; Cook 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and scallions. Serve in bowls.
This makes
a LOT. The first time I cooked it, I transferred everything to two large pots, which gave me the opportunity to make one batch more spicy. To
reiterate, however, a stock pot will make your job a lot easier -- it's the only way I've cooked it, since.