Jambalaya with Chorizo and Shrimp
serves 6
NOTE: This dish is delicious made with chorizo sausage, but
andouille also works well. If you like hot foods, this recipe may
not be spicy enough for you, so increase the cayenne as
desired.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces chorizo
1 large onion, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
11/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 cup clam juice
13/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned broth
1 large bay leaf
1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and (if desired) deveined
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo; cook until sausage is fully rendered and nicely browned, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Remove chorizo from pan and set aside to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, celery and red pepper, and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Stir in rice, salt, thyme, and cayenne, and cook, stirring frequently until coated and glistening, about 1 minute longer. Transfer rice mixture to 13 x 9g-inch baking dish; add tomatoes.
3. Add clam juice, chicken stock, bay leaf, and 1/2 cup water to skillet, increase heat to medium-high, scraping browned bits off pan bottom with wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and pour over rice mixture, adding chorizo and stirring to combine.
4. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove dish from oven, stir the rice (if rice appears too dry add 1/4 cup water and stir well), place shrimp on top of rice mixture, re-cover, and cook until rice is fully tender and shrimp is cooked, about 15 minutes more. Stir in parsley, re-cover dish, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve immediately