Chicken Jambalaya

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

1 ½ serves per portion

Recipe courtesy of Anne Jenkins, Sandgate Branch

Ingredients:
  • Olive oil
  • 4-8 chicken drumsticks or thigh cutlets, bone in
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 medium capsicum, deseeded, cut into strips
  • 2 rashers bacon OR chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
  • 8-12 button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock, reduced salt
  • Cracked black pepper, to taste
  • Chilli flakes, to taste (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs or oregano
  • ¾ cup frozen peas
Method:
  1. GREASE a frying pan or heavy skillet with lid with a small amount of olive oil.
  2. HEAT the pan on a medium heat then add the chicken to sauté, turning a couple of times. Place the lid on the pan and cook the chicken for about 5 minutes (only needs to be partially cooked).
  3. ADD onion, garlic and capsicum to the pan. Stir around the chicken pieces then replace the lid and allow to cook until onion has softened (about 2-3 minutes).
  4. TURN UP the heat and add the bacon or chorizo, frying quickly then add mushrooms. Replace the lid and cook for a further 3 minutes.
  5. TURN the chicken pieces then add the rice, stock and seasonings, then turn down the heat to a low simmer.
  6. REPLACE the lid and cook until rice has absorbed the liquid (about 12 minutes), stirring occasionally.
  7. ADD frozen peas, replace lid and cook for 3 minutes until peas are cooked through.
  8. SERVE in bowls – no accompaniments needed.
What's Great About It:

This is a great one-pot dish for a quick weekend meal and wonderful to use when camping or caravanning. The secret is to use a pan with a well-fitting lid and to rinse the rice beforehand so it doesn’t go gluggy. This dish would suit a range of vegetables, so make sure to experiment with your favourites!