i noticed a jambalaya recipe in the book and couldn't get it out of my head, so on a cold football sunday, i got to it. andouille sausage, chicken thighs, and shrimp for the protein; onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and celery for the veggies; oh, and tomatoes; thyme, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, and salt for seasoning; chicken broth, clam juice, and tomato juice for liquid; and rice. since i've never really made jambalaya before, i'm not sure how it differs so much from other recipes. i'm guessing a major part is that the raw shrimp are placed on top of everything else at the end of cooking, the lid placed on top, and the shrimp cook gently for about 5 minutes until just done. tender, sweet, and juicey; not tough or rubbery. the chicken is browned in oil, then taken out of the pot so you can brown the sausage and then cook the veggies, after which you add the rice, all the liquids and seasonings, and the sausage. then you take the browned skin off the chicken and then lay the chicken thighs on top of the mixutre, add the lid, and simmer until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. then you remove the chicken, place the shrimp on top, then shred the hot chicken with your fingers. yeah....i used 2 forks. remove the bay leaves, add the chicken and parsley, stir, and serve. the recipe was aiming for the rice to be somewhere between fluffy, pilaf-style rice and sticky risotto -style rice. i think it was a little too sticky but that is my only quibble with the dish (aside from shredding hot chicken with my fingers in 5 minutes), and it's a minor quibble. since it's the first time i've made jambalaya, i can't say it's the best recipe i've every uses, but it's among the best i've eaten so i'll give it a thumbs up :)
(oh, and yes, that is some of my freshly baked no-knead sourdough bread that i made to go with it. along with a sam adams winter lager, it's a fine meal.)
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