Jambalaya is a typical dish of Cajun cuisine that, as you know, comes from the southern United States. Cajun gastronomy is a direct heir to French cuisine and of that one imported by African slaves and is characterized by the massive use of spice, although there are certainly exceptions.
Jambalaya is not one of them, as it is spicy to die for. The word Jambalaya can be decomposed into Jamba ala ya, where Jamba would come from the French Jambon (ham), "a la" would also be French while "ya" is rice in some African languages. That is to say, Ham with rice.
As you know, adding spice to food is logical in very hot countries. The spiciness forces you to sweat and this helps to cool down by simple evaporation. If you don't want the Jambalaya to be so hot, reduce the pepper levels and use sweet chorizo (sausage with paprika).
If you go to New Orleans you will see many restaurants where it is expressly indicated that Jambalaya is cooked there, since it is one of the great attractions of local cuisine.
INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 1 chicken of 1 kg (2.2 pounds ) cut in 8 pieces.
- 400 grams (14 oz) of rice
- 200 grams (7 oz) of smoked bacon or ham in cubes (to taste)
- 1 spicy chorizo (sausage with paprika)
- 1 red onion
- 2 small cans bell peppers
- A medium can of crushed tomato (200 grams / 7oz)
- 1 liter (2 cups and a half) of chicken broth
- 2 stalks of celery
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sage leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste, as much as you like)
- Salt
- Oil
In a thick-bottomed casserole, fry the diced bacon and sliced chorizo in their own fat for about five minutes. We remove and reserve them. Then add a generous jet of oil and then brown the chicken on all sides. We withdraw and reserve.
In the same oil, add the onion and the minced garlic cloves, the celery cut into slices, the bell pepper cut into cubes and the pepper. Cook for about five minutes and then add the chicken, bacon, chorizo, peeled tomatoes and aromatic herbs. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. At that time, add the rice and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes.
While we preheat the oven to 180 degrees (356 F) and after 5 minutes of cooking we introduce the covered pot for 40 minutes, so that it is slightly soupy.
For lovers of spicy, a real feast.