Jambalaya

I have this recipe for jambalaya from a Frugal Gourmet cookbook Bruce's uncle gave us years ago. It is very involved and takes pretty much all afternoon to make, as it guides you through making stock and everything. I've modified it through the years, it still takes a bit of time, but is more of a weekend meal when you have time to let things simmer.

Jambalaya

2 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion
2 pieces of celery
½ green pepper
½ red pepper
2 cloves garlic
5 green onions
3 large tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 tbsp dried parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 cups chicken stock
1 lb sausage
2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup ham
1 cup uncooked rice

Chop vegetables into 2cm pieces. Heat oil; add onion, peppers, celery and garlic and sauté until tender. Add green onions and tomatoes and cook until soft. Add tomato paste and spices, heat through, then add 2 cups stock and simmer this gravy for 15 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, cut sausage into bite size pieces and brown in a frying pan. Discard grease, place sausage into gravy. Deglaze the frying pan with the remaining stock and pour into gravy. Add rice, chicken and ham and simmer 20-25 minutes until the rice is cooked. Stir occasionally and you may have to add a little more stock or water to finish the rice.


This is a great winter meal, very hardy. If you had leftover sausages, it would save you that step.