Shrimp and Chicken Jambalaya

Ingredients

• 1/4 tsp Cayenne
• 3/4 tsp White Pepper
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/4 tsp Thyme
• 1/2 tsp Rubbed Sage
• 1/4 tsp Dried Basil
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup Diced Andouille Sausage
• 1/2 cup Diced Onion
• 1/2 cup Diced Bell Pepper
• 1/2 cup Diced Celery
• 1/2 cup Diced Fresh Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
• 3/4 cup Enriched Long Grain Rice
• 1.25 cup Chicken Stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tbsp Minced Fresh Garlic
• 1/2 cup Diced Chicken
• 1.5 cup Medium Shrimp
• 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Italian Parsley
• 3 tbsp Finely Sliced Green Onions

Method

Heat your oven to 180°C. Combine all your dried herbs-and-spices — cayenne, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, sage, basil — with the kosher salt and set aside. Jambalaya succeeds on the back of a proper cajun-cuisine base built from rendered fat and cooked aromatics, so this mise en place matters.

In a large cast-iron dutch-oven-cooking|Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter and add the diced andouille. Let it brown for 3–4 minutes, rendering its fat into the pot; this is your flavour foundation. Add half the aromatic-vegetables|Holy Trinity — the onion, celery, and bell pepper — and cook until they soften and the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. The vegetables should smell sweet and slightly caramelised at the edges, not raw. Stir in the fresh diced tomato and cook for 1 minute to break it down, then add the tomato sauce. Cook for another minute, allowing the tomato to deepen and concentrate slightly.

Add the rice to the pot, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. This toasts the grains and coats them in the rendered fat, which prevents them from clumping during the oven braise. Pour in the chicken stock, then add the remaining Holy Trinity (raw), all your seasoned spice mix, the Worcestershire sauce, and the minced garlic. Stir thoroughly and taste the liquid — it should be assertive, slightly salty, with the warmth of cayenne present but not dominating. The shellfish|shrimp and chicken will contribute their own moisture and flavour, so season the broth itself as if you were eating it alone.

Stir in the diced chicken, cover the pot, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes without lifting the lid; the dry heat of the oven cooks the rice evenly and allows the liquid to be absorbed completely. After 25 minutes, remove the pot from the oven, stir in the raw shrimp, parsley, and green onions, and return it uncovered to the oven for a final 8–10 minutes. The shrimp are done when they've turned opaque throughout and firm to the bite — a translucent centre or grey tone means they're underdone; rubbery and curled tight means you've overshot. Serve directly from the pot.