Jambalaya varies considerably from cook to cook, but this dish usually contains rice, tomatoes, chicken, sausage, or whatever meats and seafood are on hand. To season it, nearly all great Southern cooks rely on three main vegetables: onion, sweet bell peppers and celery.
Jambalaya
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon greshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces smoked cooked sausage or turkey sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1 large onion, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1 1/2 cups Homemade Chicken Stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed
- 1 cup long-grain white rice (do not use instant)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions, plus more for garnishing
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnishing
Directions:
- Rinse the chicken breasts under cold running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the chicken with the salt, cayenne and black peppers.
- In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is browned, stirring frequently. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
- In the same stockpot, cook the sausage in the chicken drippings for about 5 minutes or until the sausage is lightly browned. Add the cooked sausage to the chicken in the bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same stockpot. Cook the onion, pepper, celery and garlic for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Occasionally scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Return the chicken and sausage to the pan. Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, rice, and 1/4 cup of the sliced scallions. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the 1/4 cup of parsley.
- Divide mixture among six serving plates; sprinkle with additional scallions and parsley.
Cheddar Cheese Crackers
Makes 4 1/2 dozen crackers
Venture into any social gathering in great Southern homes and you're bound to be served cheddar-infused munchies often rolled into long, thin cylinders or served as small thin rounds, as in the recipe below.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (about 8 ounces) sharp Cheddar cheese, grated, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cheese and butter. Beat well until combined. Gradually add the flour, salt and pepper; mix until combined.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape the dough into two 7-inch logs. Wrap each log separately in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- With a knife, slice the cheese logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned. Serve.
Michael Vyskocil - Michael Vyskocil has been a feature writer for Recipes on Suite101.com since 2006. He currently serves as the Topic Editor for Recipes.
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