Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras!  Otherwise known as Fat Tuesday.  In honor of the place that celebrates Mardi Gras the best - New Orleans - I thought I would make you some Creole.  My mom and sister went to New Orleans in December and had a fabulous time.  (I was a bit jealous, because I still haven't been there.)  While they were there, they took in some Jazz, visited a few plantations, and ate some beignets.  They picked up a cute little recipe book, called "Tid Bits of Creole," for me at one of the plantations.  It has traditional recipes for gumbo, jambalaya, bread pudding, okra, and more.

Jambalaya is definitely Southern comfort food, a hearty "stick to your ribs" meal.  You cook everything in one pot, so all the flavors mingle together and the vegetables practically disintegrate into the rice. It can be a bit spicy and the fragrance that fills your house as it cooks is amazing.  This recipe will feed a crowd, so make sure you bring your appetite!

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Adapted from Jamie Oliver and "Tid Bits of Creole"
Feeds 8 to 10 people

5 chicken thighs
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Cayenne or spices of your choosing
400 grams Andouille sausage, sliced in 1/2 inch slices
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
6 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 red chiles
6 cloves garlic
14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1-1/2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
3-1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
Parsley

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with a few glugs of olive oil.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and put it, skin-side down, in the Dutch oven.  Add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, then flip the chicken.  Add the onion, bell peppers, and celery along with the bay leaves and thyme.  Stir well, then cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every now and again.

Once the vegetables have softened, add the garlic and chiles, stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes and chicken broth.

Bring everything to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, with the lid on.  At this point, remove the chicken bones.  Add the rice, stir well and cook for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.  Stir often to scrape the browned bits from the bottom and keep the bottom from burning (I totally failed at this).  Taste test to ensure the rice is cooked.