Bomb-ass Jambalaya
I finally cracked the Jambalaya code! Way more satisfying than the Davinci one.
One-pot rice dishes can easily suffer from texture issues - such as layers of concrete on the bottom of the pot and gummy-textured rice. Every previous version of my jambalaya tasted great (sausage, shrimp, spice…duh) but the rice was always mushier than I wanted.
I adjusted the amount of water I was using, tried finishing the rice in the oven instead of on the stovetop. Better, but not enough.
I wanted my rice to tumble off my fork on the way to my mouth, studded with jewel-like bits of tomato and green onion and glistening with spicy, unctuous oils. Fucking flavor confetti. Mardi Gras in your mouth, but without the beads and drunk tourists. This was the jambalaya I needed in my life.
My personal #jambalayagoals.
Those pretty, pretty colors.
So I borrowed some techniques from other recipes - like cooking the chicken and sausage first to brown everything and get it all Maillardy*, and toasting the rice in oil before adding the liquid. The oven finish of the rice was a keeper, so I kept it.
And you know what? Flavor confetti. Mardi Gras in my mouth. Bomb-ass, blessed-by-God jambalaya. I went back for seconds. And then I went back for thirds.
And now I will always cook my Jambalaya like this. Forever and ever, amen.
Yes, there are more steps, which is why I jammed it in the Worth the Work category. But it’s still a one pot meal, and still pretty damn easy. No extra dishes and totally worth the few extra minutes you’ll spend browning things separately.
Make it immediately. Thank me later.
*The Maillard reaction is the process by which heat alters amino acids, browning your food and making it considerably more delicious.
Ready to top with chicken and pop in the oven.
Shit You Need
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch ovals
one large onion, diced
one large red bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, chopped, white and green parts separated
2 cups long-grain rice
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika (I used paprika flakes - it was super FUN!)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon crushed Calabrian chiles in oil (Optional, sorta…they add complexity to the heat.)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 pound of cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters. If you can find fresh San Marzano tomatoes, even better.
1 pound shrimp (26-30 count tail-on is my preference, but feel free to use what you like)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Right before oven time.
After 45 minutes in the oven, the stock is fully absorbed. Set the chicken aside and give the shrimp 5-8 minutes to cook with the rice.
Keep Calm and justeffingcook
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Position the racks in the bottom third of the oven.
Salt and pepper the chicken thighs (about a teaspoon of salt and 4 or five cranks of pepper per piece).
Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to a good size stockpot or dutch oven (one with a lid - you don’t need it now, but you will later) and heat over a medium flame. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. Adjust the flame toward medium-low as needed so the skin renders and browns over about 15-20 minutes.
Pull the chicken from the pot and set aside.
Toss in the andouille sausage, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook until well-browned. Set aside.
You now have a gorgeous layer of chicken and sausage fat in the bottom of your pot. Add the rice and toss it well. It will turn translucent, and then the starches on the outside will start falling off and coating the bottom and sides of the pot, browning. This is where all the good shit starts to happen.
Add the paprika, cayenne, and thyme. Toss to coat in oil.
Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and white part of scallions and let them sweat, pulling all the yummy brown stuff from the pan.
Add the chicken stock, sausage and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Place the chicken thighs on top, skin side up, cover the pot, and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
Set aside the chicken thighs. Add the shrimp to the pot, burying them in the rice a bit, and return the pot to the oven for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir in most of the scallion greens and parsley. Place the mixture in your serving dish, top with the chicken thighs, and a last sprinkle of parsley and green onions.
Have seconds.
Have thirds.
Sit down and compose a thoughtful comment on this blog post. Tell me how it worked out for you. Success or fail? Yay or Nay? Bomb-ass or dumpster fire? Gimme the dirt, baby!
