Chicken & Ham Jambalaya

Name: Chicken & Ham Jambalaya
Yield: feeds 4 generously as a main course or 8 as an appetizer
Ingredients: 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1 1/2 cups chopped onion; 1 1/4 cups chopped green pepper; 1 cup chopped celery; 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced; Kosher salt and black pepper; 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 2-inch cubes; 1 pound baked ham, cut in 1-inch cubes; 2 cups chicken broth or stock (to make your own, see page 168); 1 cup crushed tomatoes; 1/2 cup Mutha Sauce (page 165); 1 bay leaf; 1 3/4 cups parboiled long-grain rice (preferably Uncle Ben’s); 1 teaspoon dried thyme; Tabasco sauce; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/2 cup sliced scallion

January 24, 2012

Back in the early days of the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, I made a pilgrimage to New Orleans, and it seemed natural to bring some of the wonders of the Big Easy back up north. The thing that really grabbed me was jambalaya, a dish with infinite possibilities. There’s no one recipe for jambalaya because its whole reason for bein’ is to let the cook get personal and real creative with the bits of meat or fish hangin’ around in the fridge. You can give it your personal touch any way the spirit moves you. Try makin’ it with other veggies, throwin’ in some shellfish, messin’ with the seasoning—this is your chance to be a link in the evolution of one truly great leftover dish.

Cooks' Note

Here’s a double leftover idea. Take leftover jambalaya and stuff it into hollowed-out peppers or tomatoes. Bake at 350° til the veggie containers are soft, 30 minutes for tomatoes or 45 minutes for peppers. Serve with some Mutha Sauce ladled over the top.

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