I have been on a mission to clean out my cupboards and use up all…
Southern Style Jambalaya
Last month I joined in the Read, Cook, Eat Challenge hosted by the lovely Galina at Chez Maximka and Chris at Cooking Around the World. While last month I decided to cook Chelsea buns, perfect food from the Secret Garden, the book was one I had not read for a long time. This month I decided to choose a recipe from the novel I was reading at the moment.
In my spare time I have been reading Sycamore Row by John Grisham, a gripping legal thriller set in Mississippi. Seth Hubbard, an elderly man in the final stages of lung cancer commits suicide by hanging himself. The day before he has written a new will, in which he leaves most of his considerable wealth to his black house keeper, cutting out his children and grandchildren. He mails this will to Jake Brigance, a lawyer and charges him to uphold this will at all costs. As you can imagine this is highly controversial and it makes for an edge of the seat legal drama. While there are lots of courtroom scenes and discussions during the trail, unfortunately there is not much food. Not even a pizza made an appearance during the long hours preparing for the trial.
I did find food in two places, after the funeral people bring cakes to the house. Unfortunately there is no description of the type of cake, apart from one the house keeper brings home which is covered in store bought icing and toasted pineapple. This did not sound very exciting. Luckily later in the book the daughter of the black housekeeper visited the lawyers house for dinner. Jake’s wife was making spicy sausage in pasta sauce for the meal. This was my food inspiration and I decided I would make a Southern Style Jambalaya. While not quite spicy sausage in pasta sauce, it does have spicy sausage and rice in it.
Jambalaya is a rice, meat and vegetable dish that comes from the Southern states of America. This is the sort of meal I can imagine them enjoying in Mississippi and sitting down to eat whilst swapping legal chatter. It is simple to cook and filling with a warm spicy flavour, that is perfect for a hot steamy summer night.
Southern Style Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 200 g chorizo sausage
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 4 sticks celery
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 chilli pepper
- 100 g prawns
- 3 to matoes
- 6 spring onions
- 200 g long grain rice
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon chives
- 450 ml chicken stock
- salt and black pepper to season
Instructions
- Add some oil into a pan and fry the chicken and chorizo until the chicken is browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Chop the onion, pepper and celery into small pieces and gently fry.
- Chop the tomatoes and chilli and add to the pan.
- Add the garlic, paprika, thyme and chives and stir.
- Add the chicken and chorizo back to the pan with the rice.
- Add the stock to the pan and simmer gently until the rice is tender.
- Chop the spring onions and add them to the pan with the prawns.
- Cook for about ten more minutes and serve.
You can imagine this being eaten with red wine while the strategy for the case was discussed long into the night. I can see it in a big steaming bowl on the table with people helping themselves to the portion they wanted, with plenty for seconds and thirds.
Read more:
Galina V says
I love a jambalaya, there are so many different flavours! Your dinner looks absolutely delicious, I’d be happy to tuck in. Thank you for taking part in #ReadCookEat!
Eileen Teo says
Woo! That look so lovely! I love Southern Style Jambalaya.
Steph (@imcountingufoz) says
Ooh yes Jambalaya is one of my favourites. So homely!
Chris says
Yep, that’s something to have seconds and thirds from. It’s just a wonderful dish by the sounds and looks of it. Thank you for having this good idea!
Cheryl @ Madhouse Family Reviews says
Ooh I could just eat that right now ! 🙂
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It was very moreish
Sophie at Franglaise Cooking says
That looks delicious, and how lovely to read about the story and the recipe in one blog post. I quite like John Grisham but haven’t read that one, so must hunt it down.
#Recipeoftheweek
Julie's Family Kitchen says
This recipe has lots of my favourite ingredients, definitely something I’d enjoy to cook and eat . Sounds incredibly delicious. Love how you have incorporated the book you are reading into this post.
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It’s a great idea for a linky but really hard to find books with food in them
🙂
Andrea @ loveandcake says
I love Jambalaya, so quick and easy – I chuck in whatever I tend to have lying around in the fridge!
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It is so tasty as well, a great quick supper