Cajun and Creole Recipes
Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 2 ham hocks
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 (3 pound) chicken, cleaned
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes (reserve liquid), chopped
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon whole thyme
- 1 teaspoon basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound hot smoked link sausage
- 2 cups Uncle Ben's converted rice
Instructions
- Place the ham, carrots, the 1 yellow onion, and celery in a pot, and cover with water. Cook for 2 hours, and then add the chicken and 1 bay leaf.
- Cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is tender.
- Allow the pot to cool a bit.
- Bone the chicken, and chop the meat.
- Bone the ham hocks, remove the skin, chop the meat. Reserve the stock (need 3 cups), and the two meats.
- In a Dutch oven heat the oil. Add the cup chopped yellow onion and pepper, and sauté until tender.
- Add the celery, green onions, and tomatoes, and cook until soft.
- Add the ham hock pieces and tomato paste, and sauté the mixture until it begins to brown.
- Add the parsley, garlic, 1 bay leaf, basil, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, the reserved tomato liquid and 2 cups reserved stock. Cook this gravy for 1 hour.
- Cut the sausages into bite-size pieces, and brown them in another pan; discard any grease, and place the sausage slices in the gravy.
- Rinse out the frying pan with 1 cup reserved stock, and pour into the gravy. Place the rice in the gravy, along with the boned chicken, and cover. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Keep careful check so that the pot does not dry out; you may have to add a little water to finish cooking the rice.
Attribution
The Frugal Gourmet - Jeff Smith