New Meal Monday: Jambalaya

While Fat Tuesday was technically weeks ago, in Burlington Vermont we celebrate a little later then most.  Burlington's Mardi Gras (which is sponsored by Magic Hat and is a fundraiser for the Vermont Foodbank) is this coming Saturday (March 10th).
We thought, in honor of the upcoming celebration, we'd try taking on making a classic New Orleans dish: Jambalaya.  We also thought we'd make it using a new tool! While this dish can be made in a large stockpot, dutch oven, or a slow cooker, we used the Fagor Lux Multicooker and followed their recommended instructions.  Electric Multicookers have been the single most popular trend in cooking over the past year, with their ability to act as a slow cooker, a pressure cooker and the ability to sauté, steam, brown and more it's easy to see why this style of one pot cooking (and the companies that make these products) have become so popular! Prepping the ingredients was more time consuming that actually cooking. Once everything is chopped and measured, the rest took just under 20 minutes!  Most importantly though...it was delicious!
If you don't have one of these fancy Multicookers, you could adapt the recipe for a regular pressure cooker, or simply use a slow cooker if you don't need it ready quick!  The below makes about 4-6 servings depending upon appetite and at the bottom are revised directions for cooking in a slow cooker.
Interested in trying a sample or seeing how we made it? We'll be doing a demo in our Burlington store at 12 on Saturday 3/10 and giving out samples till their gone!

What you'll need:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1” pieces
• ½ pound fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced into half-moons
• ½ pound cooked ham, diced
• ½ pound small uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 cups chicken stock

How You'll Do it:

1. Combine black pepper through thyme leaves in a small bowl.
2. In another bowl, toss chicken with 2 teaspoons of the spice mix.
3. Heat oil in the cooker using the SAUTÉ function. Add the onion, celery, and green bell pepper and 1 teaspoon of the spice mix to the cooker and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until just starting to get soft.
4. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
5. Add chicken and sausage and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Add the ham and cook an additional minute.
7. Stir in bay leaf, rice, drained tomatoes, stock and the remainder of the spice mix.
8. Close and lock the lid of the multi-cooker and set the regulator knob to PRESSURE. Set the timer for 8 minutes on pressure cooker HIGH.
9. Quick release pressure, remove lid, then stir in shrimp on top. Cover tightly (do not lock) and let stand 5 minutes with unit turned off. Mix in shrimp before serving.

**If you don't have a Mulit-Cooker with pressure cooking options, you can use a slow cooker (as long as you have the time!).  Set aside rice and shrimp.  Add ALL other ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low for five hours. Add rice and shrimp and turn to high and cook for 30 min more.