Jambalaya

[scoobydooby]

A couple of years ago, whilst visiting an 'American Themepark', we stopped for some lunch where they were serving, BBQ Ribs, Jacket Potatoes etc. More gorgeous than anything else I've ever tasted was their Chicken Jambalaya. I heard shortly afterwards that TGI Fridays had this on their menu but were rather expensive to eat at. So, for a special occasion - as a family, we arrived at TGI's one day for a meal but they'd removed Jambalaya from the menu. Something to do with it containing pork and not catering for all religions. Does anyone have a good recipe for Chicken Jambalaya that will taste as good as it does over the Atlantic?

[Clanad]

Here's a simple one:

1 pound cubed pork chops or pork fingers

2 boned chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 cup oil
1 onion, sliced 1 cup parsley
1/2 cup green onion tops 2 cups rice
2 cups hot water 1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp salt


Directions
Cook the rice.
Cut and season the pork and chicken with red pepper, black pepper and salt.
Heat oil and brown the pork and chicken. Drain excess grease after browning.

Add onions and simmer until tender. Add in cooked rice, parsley,
and green onions. Simmer for 20 minutes.

And here's more of a main dish one:

4 chicken breast halves
1/2 lb. fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced into coins
1/2 lb.shrimp, peeled deveined
1/3 c. cooking oil
1 lg. white onion, chopped
1 lg. bell pepper, chopped
6 lg. cloves of garlic, chopped
3-14 1/2 oz. cans chicken broth
3 c. Uncle Ben's long-grain white rice, uncooked
1 bunch green onions,chopped
2-14 1/2 oz. cans chopped tomatoes
1-2 tbsp. tabasco sauce or Louisiana hot sauce
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

In a large saucepan or pot, boil the chicken breasts for about an hour until they're tender and the meat comes off the bone easily. Remove from water, set aside to cool. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, begin cooking the chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic in the cooking oil on medium-to-low heat. While cooking, add the seasoning salt, black pepper, red pepper and Tabasco sauce and stir to mix evenly.

Contd.

[Clanad]

Contd.

When tender but not browned, add the rice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer. While rice is cooking, remove the skin from the chicken, debone and tear the meat into chunks. When the rice has absorbed 1/2 - 3/4 of the broth, add the chicken, sausage, shrimp, green onions and tomatoes into the pot and mix it all up evenly. Note: Don't drain the tomatoes - use the juice and all.

Cover and simmer until the rice is fully cooked, the shrimp is pink and cooked, and the meat is hot. Serve with buttered French bread and additional Tabasco sauce on the table. Note: If you don't have a classic Dutch Oven, use the heaviest pot you have...

This usually served with the traditional side dish of Red Beans and Rice... Good luck!

[Buenchico]

Saying that you like jambalaya is a bit like saying that you like curry. There are so many variations, it's hard to know which style you'll like. These recipes are all from the excellent BBC site:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/mommasmeatjam balaya_76386.shtml
or
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/curriedpoache dchicke_70871.shtml
or
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/jambalaya_705 23.shtml
or
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/cajunchrissja mbalaya_70437.shtml

This one's from Bella Online (a magazine targetting Afro-Caribbean women in the U.S.):
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art12845.asp

There are also lots of jambalaya recipes on the specialist Southern Food website:
http://southernfood.about.com/od/jambalayarecipes/

Chris

[tubeway]

Old Orleans restaurants still do Chicken Jambalaya - and it is delicious