Recipe: Jambalaya

One of my Christmas gifts this year from my in-laws was a Barefoot Contessa cookbook. I immediately marked a ton of recipes I wanted to make, including this Jambalaya recipe

There was a lot going on in this dish, and everything came together perfectly. This made a ton! We had leftovers for dinner a couple of nights later, and Graham & I have been eating it for lunch all week. It made so much, that I feel I should warn you that you need a pretty big pot to cook this in. I have a 6 quart dutch oven and it was filled pretty much to capacity!

Amelia's Jambalaya
(Original recipe found here.)

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1½ lbs. of andouille sausage, sliced diagonally about 1/2" thick
• 1½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 lb. of jumbo shrimp; peeled & deveined
• 1 large onion; chopped
• 2 red bell peppers; chopped
• 4 stalks of celery; sliced in half moons
• 2 jalapenos; finely chopped (seeds & membranes removed)
• 1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes; drained & roughly chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic; minced
• 2 T. of tomato paste
• 2 t. of dried oregano
• 1 t. of dried thyme
• 1 t. of cayenne pepper
• 2 T. of Creole seasoning (I like this brand)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 C. of dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
• 5 C. of chicken stock
• 3 C. of white rice
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat about 2 T. of oil over medium-high heat and brown sausage until browned on both sides (about 8-10 minutes). Remove the sausage to a plate and add the chicken to the dutch oven. Brown on both sides, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove to the plate and set aside. 
2. Add more oil to the dutch oven. Then add the peppers, onions & celery to the pot and saute for about 10 minutes, or until tender. 
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, oregano, cayenne, creole seasoning & 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook for another 2 minutes. 
4. Add the white wine & deglaze the pan. Then add the stock, the rice & the browned meat back to the pan. Bring contents to a boil, and then cover & reduce heat to low & simmer for 20 minutes. 
5. Stir in the shrimp, re-cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. 
6. Before serving, discard the bay leaves and add additional creole seasoning if you need more heat.