New Orleans Jambalaya

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 T butter (15g)
2 medium onions, diced
2 bell pepper, diced
2-3 jalapeno peppers chopped (optional, for spicy, use serranos for extra spicy)
2 stalks celery chopped
6 cloves garlic chopped
½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped (or boneless skinless chicken thighs) (250g)
½ pound smoked bacon chopped (180g)
½ pound andouille or smoked sausage, sliced 1.5″-inch thick (200g)
½ pound large raw shrimp/prawns peeled and deveined, with or without tails
3-4 tomatoes chopped, about a pound (1 can of diced tomatoes)
1-2 T Cajun seasoning (You can adjust this to your spice liking)
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
2 t fresh thyme chopped (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)
1 cup green onions sliced, plus more for garnish and serving
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can tomato paste
1 cups chicken stock
1 cup white rice (I used a long grain, only used 1 cup here, but you can use 2 if you want the meal to feed more. If you do, add 2 cups stock)
Chopped parsley for garnish
Your favorite hot sauce for serving

Instructions:
Heat a large heavy bottom pot to medium heat. Add oil with onions, peppers and celery. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, bacon, cook for 30 seconds to start the fat melting, then add sausages slices. Cook until sausages are golden. Add chicken to the pan and cook until golden. The chicken at this point doesn’t need to be cooked inside. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is no longer pink, and the sausage starts to cook through. Add tomatoes, and cook for 3 minutes. Add Cajun seasonings, thyme, oregano, basil, salt and pepper, tomato paste and chicken stock. Stir. At this point, if you’re looking for an EXTRA SPICY version, add in a few teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce. If not, omit. Stir in the white rice. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and let simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and tender, to your preference. Heat a small pan to medium heat, and add oil and butter. Season shrimp with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning and sear for about 1½ minutes each side, or until cooked through. Stir them into the Jambalaya pot, with the green onions. The jambalaya should be juicy, but not swimming in liquid. The rice grains should be soft, with a little bit of bite, like risotto cooked to bit softer than al dente. If the grains are still firm in the center, continue to bake checking the rice every 5 minutes. Gently, but very quickly, stir the ingredients through, Cover with lid just long enough to heat the shrimp. This will take about 2 minutes. Serve Jambalaya into bowls and garnish with parsley. Add in extra hot sauce if desired. Enjoy!

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