Hairy Bikers Jambalaya

This Hairy Bikers jambalaya is a Creole rice pot with chicken, chorizo, and prawns from the Chicken and Egg cookbook. Cajun spices, long-grain rice, and a good shake of Tabasco make it spicy and rich, and it all cooks in one pot.

Si and Dave call this dish a sort of paella with attitude, brought back from Louisiana. Half the Cajun spice mix rubs into the chicken first, while the rest goes in with the rice, so the flavour builds in two stages.

Fry the chorizo before anything else, because it renders a deep red, smoky oil into the pot. The chicken then sears in that oil and picks up the flavour before the rice even goes in.

Hairy Bikers Jambalaya

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Simmering Cuisine:British Creole Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour Servings:6 servingsCalories:480 kcal Best Season:Fall

Description

Chicken rubbed with a Cajun spice mix, chorizo fried until its red oil runs, then both cooked with onion, celery, peppers, and long-grain rice in tomato and stock. Prawns stir through at the end, and it comes to the table with parsley, lemon, and Tabasco.

Ingredients

For the spice mix

• 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme

For the jambalaya

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200g chorizo, skinned and sliced into rounds
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 green peppers, deseeded and diced
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 400g long-grain rice, well rinsed
• 400g can of tomatoes
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 12 large prawns, shelled and deveined
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

• Chopped parsley
• Lemon wedges
• Tabasco sauce

Instructions

1. Season the chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Mix the paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and thyme together. Sprinkle half over the chicken, rub it in, and leave to stand while you carry on. Set the rest aside.
2. Fry the chorizo: Heat a teaspoon of the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the chorizo and fry until browned all over and it has released plenty of red oil. Remove the chorizo and set it aside.
3. Sear the chicken: Add the chicken to the same dish and fry, stirring regularly, until seared all over. Remove and set aside, then add the rest of the oil if the dish looks dry.
4. Soften the vegetables: Add the onions, green peppers, and celery, then sauté gently for at least 10 minutes until softening. Stir in the garlic and the rest of the spice mix, cook for a couple of minutes, then add the bay leaves.
5. Add the rice and simmer: Return the chicken and chorizo to the dish and pour in the rice. Stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes and stock and season. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
6. Finish with prawns: Add the prawns and cook, covered, for a further minute. Turn off the heat and leave to steam for a few minutes until the rice is fluffy. Stir the prawns through, scatter with parsley, and serve with lemon and Tabasco.

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FAQs

Is there a healthy low-fat diet jambalaya?

Yes, and the Hairy Dieters book has a lighter Southern-style jambalaya at just 341 calories. It uses the same chicken, chorizo, and prawns, but only 100g of chorizo and a fraction of the oil.

The clever trick is to fry the chicken and chorizo first, then tip most of the fat away before the veg goes in. Fresh skinned tomatoes and spring onions replace the richness, so you keep the spicy flavour with far less fat.

What is the difference between jambalaya and paella?

They are close cousins, and Si and Dave describe jambalaya as a sort of Creole paella. The big difference is the spice, since jambalaya uses Cajun heat from cayenne and Tabasco while paella leans on saffron.

The rice is handled differently too. In the Hairy Bikers chicken and chorizo paella the rice sits undisturbed to form a crust, while jambalaya is stirred and stays saucy and soft.

Can I make it with turkey or pork instead?

Yes, jambalaya is famously flexible with meat. Turkey works well in place of the chicken, and it uses up leftover roast turkey nicely after Christmas.

Pork also suits it, either diced shoulder browned with the chorizo or leftover roast pork stirred in near the end. Keep the prawns whatever meat you choose, since they add the seafood note that defines jambalaya.

What spices go in a jambalaya?

The chorizo does the heavy lifting, so its smoked paprika and fat flavour the whole pot. Beyond that, the Cajun mix of paprika, cayenne, thyme, oregano, garlic, and onion powder brings the warmth.

Tabasco at the table lets everyone adjust their own heat, which is very Louisiana. For another chorizo dish that renders the fat first, the Spanish chicken tray bake builds its flavour the same way.

What should I serve with jambalaya?

Serve it straight from the pot with lemon wedges, chopped parsley, and Tabasco on the side. A green salad is all it needs alongside, since the rice, meat, and veg are already in one bowl.

It also reheats well the next day, as the flavours settle and deepen overnight. For another quick prawn dish, the chilli prawn pasta uses raw prawns with garlic, lemon, and parsley in 25 minutes.