Jambalaya

This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa – all I did to modify was to remove the butter. With so many fresh favors in this dish, I promise you won’t miss a thing. The original can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/shrimp-and-sausage-jambalaya-recipe2/index.html

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound kielbasa or andouille sausage – sliced
• 1 pound smoked ham – cubed
• 1 medium onion – diced
• 1 cup celery – diced
• 1 green bell pepper – diced
• 1 red bell pepper – diced
• 1 cup tomato – seeded and diced
• 3 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper – seeded and minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme – chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups long-grain rice – rinsed
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 to 8 dashes hot sauce (i.e. Tabasco)
• ½ cup scallions – chopped  
• ¾ cup fresh parsley – chopped
• ¼  cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp – cleaned with tails removed

Directions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or black iron pot over medium heat, add the kielbasa and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove the kielbasa to a bowl, and set aside. Add the ham to the same pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to the bowl with the kielbasa, and set aside. Add the onion, celery and peppers to the same pot and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato, garlic, jalapeno, oregano, thyme, and tomato paste and cook until all the vegetables and herbs are blended well. Add the stock and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the rice, and add the sausage, ham, bay leaves, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the scallions, parsley, lemon juice and shrimp, and stir well. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat and allow the jambalaya steam, for 15 minutes, before serving.