Louisiana Jambalaya recipe

Happy Thursday ! And I am in the kitchen making a pot of Jambalaya :

At Mardi Gras time it’s all about easy recipes that can feed a ton of people -so if the Party is at your house Jambalaya and French bread and a salad is on the menu.

• 
  3 pounds cubed chicken
  2 pounds sliced smoked sausage
  1/4 cup Crisco
  2 cups chopped onions
  2 cups chopped celery
  1 cup chopped bell pepper
  ½ cup diced garlic
  8 cups beef or chicken stock
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
  1 cup sliced green onions
  ½ cup chopped parsley
  salt and cayenne pepper
  5 cups Long Grain Rice, uncooked

n a seven quart cast iron dutch oven, heat Crisco or bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Sauté cubed chicken until dark brown on all sides and some pieces are sticking to the bottom of the pot, approximately thirty minutes. This is very important as the brown color of jambalaya is derived from the color of the meat. Add smoked sausage and stir fry an additional ten to fifteen minutes. Tilt the pot to one side and ladle out all oil, except for one large cooking spoon. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Continue cooking until all vegetables are well caramelized, however, be very careful as vegetables will tend to scorch since the pot is so hot. Add stock, bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook all ingredients in stock approximately fifteen minutes for flavors to develop. Add tomatoes green onions and parsley.
 Add rice, reduce heat to very low, cover and cook thirty to forty-five minutes, stirring at fifteen minute intervals. Do not uncover except to stir.

This recipe uses chicken and sausage but you can use anything including Seafood, So go Wild;

Kitchen Tips :

1. Use 1 cup of rice for every 2 cups of vegetables (onions, celery, bell pepper).
2. Use 1 1/4 cups liquid for every 1 cup of uncooked rice.
3. 1 cup of uncooked rice will make 3 cups of cooked rice, season accordingly.
4. Cook jambalaya for a total of 25 to 30 minutes, stirring well after 10 minutes.

Jambalaya is a Louisiana-origin dish of Spanish and French influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Traditionally, the meat always includes sausage of some sort, often a smoked meat such as andouille, along with some other seafood, mostly pork, chicken, crawfish, or shrimp.