Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 medium onion, peeled, ends trimmed, and quartered lengthwise1 medium rib celery, cut crosswise into quarters1 medium red bell pepper, stem removed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise5 medium cloves garlic, peeled2 teaspoons vegetable oil 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch pieces1 ½ cups long grain white rice (10 ounces)1 teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note)1 can diced tomatoes (14 ½-ounce), drained, ¼ cup juice reserved1 cup clam juice (bottled)1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 bay leaves 1 pound medium shrimp (31 to 35 shrimp per pound), or large shrimp, shelled2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Before You Begin
Because andouille varies in spiciness, we suggest tasting a piece of the cooked sausage and then adjusting the amount of cayenne in the jambalaya to suit your taste. If you can't find andouille, try tasso, chorizo, or linguiça; if using chorizo or linguiça, consider doubling the amount of cayenne. The onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic can be chopped by hand instead of in the food processor. The shrimp don't need to be deveined, but you can do so if you prefer. If you're serving only four people, you may choose to skip the shredding step and serve the chicken on the bone.
Instructions
- In food processor, pulse onion, celery, red pepper, and garlic until chopped fine, about six 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice. Do not overprocess; vegetables should not be pureed.
- Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and cook until golden brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add andouille; cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel–lined plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add vegetables, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon, until vegetables have softened, about 4 minutes. Add rice, salt, thyme, and cayenne; cook, stirring frequently, until rice is coated with fat, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, clam juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, and browned sausage to pot; stir to combine. Remove and discard skin from chicken; place chicken, skinned-side down, on rice. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir once, keeping chicken on top, skinned-side down. Replace cover and continue to simmer until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife, about 10 minutes more; transfer chicken to clean plate and set aside. Scatter shrimp over rice, cover, and continue to cook until rice is fully tender and shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
- While shrimp are cooking, shred chicken (see illustration below). When shrimp are cooked, discard bay leaves; off heat, stir in parsley and shredded chicken, and serve immediately.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
1 medium onion, peeled, ends trimmed, and quartered lengthwise
1 medium rib celery, cut crosswise into quarters
1 medium red bell pepper, stem removed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
5 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 ½ cups long grain white rice (10 ounces)
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note)
1 can diced tomatoes (14 ½-ounce), drained, ¼ cup juice reserved
1 cup clam juice (bottled)
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 pound medium shrimp (31 to 35 shrimp per pound), or large shrimp, shelled
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 medium onion, peeled, ends trimmed, and quartered lengthwise
1 medium rib celery, cut crosswise into quarters
1 medium red bell pepper, stem removed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
5 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 ½ cups long grain white rice (10 ounces)
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note)
1 can diced tomatoes (14 ½-ounce), drained, ¼ cup juice reserved
1 cup clam juice (bottled)
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 pound medium shrimp (31 to 35 shrimp per pound), or large shrimp, shelled
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 medium onion, peeled, ends trimmed, and quartered lengthwise
1 medium rib celery, cut crosswise into quarters
1 medium red bell pepper, stem removed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
5 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 ½ cups long grain white rice (10 ounces)
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note)
1 can diced tomatoes (14 ½-ounce), drained, ¼ cup juice reserved
1 cup clam juice (bottled)
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 pound medium shrimp (31 to 35 shrimp per pound), or large shrimp, shelled
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For the best chicken jambalaya recipe, start with chicken thighs, which are meaty and have enough fat to prevent dryness. Brown the chicken to develop flavor and remove the meat from the bone to make eating easier. Don't use too much liquid and add the shrimp at the very end of the cooking time to prevent them from becoming tough.
Before You Begin
Because andouille varies in spiciness, we suggest tasting a piece of the cooked sausage and then adjusting the amount of cayenne in the jambalaya to suit your taste. If you can't find andouille, try tasso, chorizo, or linguiça; if using chorizo or linguiça, consider doubling the amount of cayenne. The onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic can be chopped by hand instead of in the food processor. The shrimp don't need to be deveined, but you can do so if you prefer. If you're serving only four people, you may choose to skip the shredding step and serve the chicken on the bone.
Instructions
- In food processor, pulse onion, celery, red pepper, and garlic until chopped fine, about six 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice. Do not overprocess; vegetables should not be pureed.
- Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and cook until golden brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add andouille; cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel–lined plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add vegetables, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon, until vegetables have softened, about 4 minutes. Add rice, salt, thyme, and cayenne; cook, stirring frequently, until rice is coated with fat, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, clam juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, and browned sausage to pot; stir to combine. Remove and discard skin from chicken; place chicken, skinned-side down, on rice. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir once, keeping chicken on top, skinned-side down. Replace cover and continue to simmer until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife, about 10 minutes more; transfer chicken to clean plate and set aside. Scatter shrimp over rice, cover, and continue to cook until rice is fully tender and shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
- While shrimp are cooking, shred chicken (see illustration below). When shrimp are cooked, discard bay leaves; off heat, stir in parsley and shredded chicken, and serve immediately.
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