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Isaac Toups' Jambalaya

Cook Time:
1 hr 40 mins
Prep Time:
20 mins
Servings:
6
RATE THIS RECIPE
(72)

Chef notes

Jambalaya is a hearty dish that's steeped in New Orleans' rich Cajun culture. It's like a melting pot of savory, spicy flavors with hot andouille sausage, tender chicken thighs and a base of nice stew vegetables, all of which get mixed into a buttery roux, chicken stock and (as the folks at Toups Meatery like to do) a can of golden amber beer. As all that goodness gets infused together over about an hour-and-a-half, the result is a traditional southern dish that's perfect for feeding the masses. When we have family and friends over during Mardi Gras, I double this recipe and feed everyone.

Technique Tip: When the first little whiffs of smoke start to rise from the oil, dump in your flour and immediately start stirring. Do not walk away. Just continue to stir, scraping bottom and edges well to keep flour from burning.

Swap Option: You can substitute any kind of sausage (chicken or turkey) if you don’t eat pork.

Get Ingredients: If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large bell pepper, diced
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup amber beer
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 2 cups uncooked rice
  • 1 pound smoked andouille sausage
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced, for serving
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Preparation

1.

Season chicken thighs with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

2.

Heat a large Dutch oven on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot and heat. Add chicken thighs and sear 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pot and set aside.

3.

Add remaining oil to the pot. When the oil just starts to smoke, add flour and stir continuously until the roux is the color of dark chocolate. Add all the vegetables and garlic to the roux and cook for 1 minute. Add beer to the roux and cook for 30 seconds. Add the stock and chicken thighs to the pot, stirring until sauce comes to a simmer. Cover and continue simmering for 1 hour.

4.

Heat the oven to 350 F. Add uncooked rice and sausage to the pot, stir and cover. Bake for 30 minutes.

5.

Remove from the oven and stir in butter. Garnish with green onion, serve and enjoy.