Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Name: Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Prep time: 1 h 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 35 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Creole, Cajun
Ingredients: 1 Tbsps chopped fresh sweet basil leaves; 1 kilograms boneless skinless chicken thigh meat; 0 gallons chicken stock; 1 Tbsp freshly chopped curly parsley leaves; 2 Tbsps minced fresh garlic; 1 Tbsps coarsely ground black pepper; 680 grams onions, diced; 907 grams mild smoked pork sausage, or any lean high-quality smoked pork sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick; 1 Tbsps red pepper flakes; 567 grams long-grain rice; 1 Tbsps whole fresh thyme leaves; 1 Tbsps white pepper; 454 grams tasso, cubed

The recipe Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya could satisfy your Creole craving in about 1 hour and 35 minutes. This main course has 671 calories, 36g of protein, and 36g of fat per serving. This recipe serves 12. Head to the store and pick up basil leaves, mild pork sausage, freshly curly parsley leaves, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the rice you could follow this main course with the Rice Pudding as a dessert. It is a good option if you're following a gluten free and dairy free diet.

Instructions

*Cook's Note: This recipe has been scaled down from its original version so that it can more easily made.

The most important thing is to use the right equipment and I would suggest the following: a 2-gallon cast iron Dutch oven, a high BTU gas stove, and a large stainless steel chef's spoon.

Equipment you will use

Dutch Oven

Stove

Use high heat to preheat the Dutch oven and add the sausage. Using a chef's spoon or large spoon, constantly move the sausage from the bottom of the pot. Be careful not to burn the meat. (Normally I use Manda's sausage because it has little fat, however at this point you may want to drain off all of the excess grease to reduce the fat content from the dish.)

Ingredients you will need

Sausage

Meat

Equipment you will use

Dutch Oven

Add the thigh meat and brown the chicken on all sides. Again use the spoon to scrape the meat from sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot. Browning the sausage and chicken meats should take 20 minutes. Be careful not to over cook the thigh meat to the point that it shreds.

Ingredients you will need

Meat

Sausage

Equipment you will use

Pot

Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic; saute for about 15 minutes or until the onions are very limp and "clear". Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the "graton". This is where the jambalaya gets its distinct brown color and taste.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Onion

Equipment you will use

Pot

Add the tasso, thyme, basil and black and white pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. This will give the seasonings time to release their oils and flavors.

Ingredients you will need

White Pepper

Seasoning

Basil

Thyme

At this point the jambalaya concentrate can be transferred to smaller containers, cooled to room temperature, covered and refrigerated for future use. (This is what we do commercially; it allows the seasonings to marry.)

Ingredients you will need

Seasoning

When you are ready to cook the jambalaya, add the stock to the concentrate and bring to a rolling boil.

Ingredients you will need

Stock

Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium and gently break up the rice. Using the stainless steel paddle, continue to insure that the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot; this is very important!

Ingredients you will need

Rice

Equipment you will use

Pot

After about 5 minutes, fold in the parsley. Continue to scrape the pot to insure that no rice sticks to the bottom. When the jambalaya returns to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer, covered, for at least 25 minutes. Do not remove the cover while the rice is steaming.

Ingredients you will need

Parsley

Rice

Equipment you will use

Pot

If Manda's brand sausage is not available, any lean smoked sausage can be substituted. You may have to remove any excess grease from the pot after frying down an unknown sausage.

Ingredients you will need

Smoked Sausage

Sausage

Equipment you will use

Pot

For a richer jambalaya substitute turkey stock for the chicken stock called for above.

Ingredients you will need

Turkey Stock

If no stocks are available, then chicken soup base can be used. Be careful with your seasoning, as bases are usually full of salt.

Ingredients you will need

Seasoning

Whole Chicken

Soup

Salt

Alternate Method: .

The jambalaya is best when served directly out of the cast iron pot. While the rice is steaming, the sausage and meat will have a tendency to float to the surface of the jambalaya. Therefore, after the rice has steamed for 25 minutes, use the paddle to gently fold in the meat and seasonings into the cooked rice. This should only be done once or twice, the rice will loose a lot of heat and the rice will break apart.

Ingredients you will need

Rice

Seasoning

Sausage

Meat

Equipment you will use

Pot

Also note, I do not add salt to my jambalaya. This is because I like to use herbs, tasso and seasonings to satisfy the need for salt. I would suggest having the table set with salt shakers and a selection of hot pepper sauces.

Ingredients you will need

Chili Pepper

Seasoning

Herbs

Salt

Plate Presentation: .

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Stove

Pot

Ingredients

Servings:

1Tbsps

chopped fresh sweet basil leaves 1kilograms

boneless skinless chicken thigh meat 0gallons

chicken stock 1Tbsp

freshly chopped curly parsley leaves 2Tbsps

minced fresh garlic 1Tbsps

coarsely ground black pepper 680grams

onions, diced 907grams

mild smoked pork sausage, or any lean high-quality smoked pork sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick 1Tbsps

red pepper flakes 567grams

long-grain rice 1Tbsps

whole fresh thyme leaves 1Tbsps

white pepper 454grams

tasso, cubed

Recommended wine: Albarino, Rose Wine, Sauvignon Blanc

Albarino, rosé Wine, and Sauvignon Blanc are my top picks for Cajun. These low-tannin, lower alcohol wines will complement the heat in spicy cajun dishes, instead of making your mouth burn more. The Don Olegario Albarino with a 4.5 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 19 dollars per bottle.