Back in the early days of the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, I made a pilgrimage to New Orleans, and it seemed natural to bring some of the wonders of the Big Easy back up north. The thing that really grabbed me was jambalaya, a dish with infinite possibilities. There’s no one recipe for jambalaya because its whole reason for bein’ is to let the cook get personal and real creative with the bits of meat or fish hangin’ around in the fridge. You can give it your personal touch any way the spirit moves you. Try makin’ it with other veggies, throwin’ in some shellfish, messin’ with the seasoning—this is your chance to be a link in the evolution of one truly great leftover dish.

　　

Ingredients

feeds 4 generously as a main course or 8 as an appetizer

　　1/2 cup vegetable oil

　　1 1/2 cups chopped onion

　　1 1/4 cups chopped green pepper

　　1 cup chopped celery

　　1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

　　Kosher salt and black pepper

　　2 tablespoons minced garlic

　　1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 2-inch cubes

　　1 pound baked ham, cut in 1-inch cubes

　　2 cups chicken broth or stock (to make your own, see page 168)

　　1 cup crushed tomatoes

　　1/2 cup Mutha Sauce (page 165)

　　1 bay leaf

　　1 3/4 cups parboiled long-grain rice (preferably Uncle Ben’s)

　　1 teaspoon dried thyme

　　Tabasco sauce

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1/2 cup sliced scallion

　　

Step 1

Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven and set it over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the onions, green peppers, celery, and jalapeños. Season with salt and pepper and cook til soft and tinged with brown. Toss in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more; then add the chicken. Cook for about 4 minutes, turning the pieces and mixing them with the veggies.

　　

Step 2

Stir in the ham and pour in the broth, tomatoes, and Mutha Sauce. Now drop in the bay leaf and dump in the rice. Give everything a stir, and spice it up with some Tabasco. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn down the heat to a low simmer. Cook for 25 minutes without stirring.

　　

Step 3

Uncover and fish out the bay leaf. Mix everything well. Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper, and add the thyme, cayenne, and scallions. Then spoon it up.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Here’s a double leftover idea. Take leftover jambalaya and stuff it into hollowed-out peppers or tomatoes. Bake at 350° til the veggie containers are soft, 30 minutes for tomatoes or 45 minutes for peppers. Serve with some Mutha Sauce ladled over the top.

　　Dinosaur Bar-B-QueTen Speed Press