Jambalaya

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Jambalaya

Simple and tasty, this Jambalaya recipe makes the perfect one-pot dish for two or more. Make a large amount for a family get-together, group of friends, Bonfire Night, or party and, once cooked, everyone can just dive in! Although usually fairly spicy, you can adjust the heat by using more or less cayenne for a mild or hot version. You can also omit or add ingredients to suit your tastes as long as the general recipe is followed. Serve in a big ‘help yourself’ pot with chunks of freshly made bread or flat bread and a bunch of watercress.

Just increase the quantities equally for a larger group serving.

  • Serves: 2-4
  • Preparation Time: 5 mins approx
  • Cooking Time: 40 mins approx
  • Ready In: 45 mins approx

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil or Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil
  • 2 Chicken Breast Fillets –  skinless and boneless – cut into chunks
  • ½ lb Spicy Cooked Sausage or Chorizo – sliced (optional but does add more taste)
  • 4 Rashers Smoked Bacon – fat removed and cut into large pieces
  • 1 large Brown Onion – chopped
  • 1 medium Red Onion – chopped
  • 1 Celery Stalk – chopped
  • 2 Bell Peppers – 1 red, 1 green – cut into slices
  • 1 medium Tomato – chopped
  • 1 Garlic Clove – finely chopped or crushed
  • 300 ml Chicken Stock (use 2 chicken stock cubes)
  • 250 g Passata
  • ½ to 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • ¼ tsp Dried Thyme (or fresh if you have it)
  • ½ tsp Dried Parsley (or fresh if you have it)
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 cup Basmati or Easy Cook Rice
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan
  • Add the chicken and sausage. Fry for approx 5 minutes until browned
  • Add the bacon pieces and fry for a further 3 minutes
  • Transfer the contents from the frying pan to your large cook pot
  • Add the following ingredients to the pot, stir well and then bring to the boil:
    • Onions
    • Bell Peppers
    • Celery
    • Tomato
    • Garlic
    • Passata
    • Chicken Stock
    • Parsley
    • Cayenne
    • Thyme
    • Bay leaf
  • Stir in the rice, season to taste and bring to the boil again
  • Reduce the heat, cover the pan tightly and simmer for 10 minutes
  • Remove the pan from the hob without removing the lid or srtirring the contents
  • Set the pan to one side for 20 minutes which allows the rice to finish cooking
  • Remove the bay leaf before serving
  • Either serve in the cook pot or as individual portions

Recommended Equipment

Hints & Tips

  • The beauty of this recipe is that once you’ve cooked the initial ingredients, the dish practically cooks itself so you can sit back and relax
  • It’s tempting to remove the lid to see how it’s going but you’ll lose the much needed heat by doing so!
  • The bottom of the dish may become slightly brown (or burnt) if the simmering was too high. Just check when serving. It won’t ruin the dish but try not to scrape the bottom too much if so.