Chicken and Tasso Jambalaya

Name: Chicken and Tasso Jambalaya
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon canola oil; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1/2 pound chopped tasso or other smoked ham; 2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 3 boneless, skinless thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces; 1 tablespoon Homemade Creole Seasoning (page 287); 1 onion, preferably Vidalia, chopped; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped; 1 clove garlic, very finely chopped; 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice; 1 (4-ounce) can tomato sauce; 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (page 227) or low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth; Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

December 9, 2011

We moved from Georgia to Louisiana when I was a child and our family’s diet changed. Mama armed herself with spiral-bound copies of River Road Recipes (Junior League of Baton Rouge, 1959) and Talk about Good (Junior League of Lafayette, 1967) and started cooking. Soon, the cuisine of Louisiana—Mama’s Red Beans and Rice (page 160), Mama’s Shrimp Creole (page 131), and dishes similar to this jambalaya—quickly became as familiar and comfortable as Meme’s Old-fashioned Butter Beans (page 179) and her fried chicken (page 106). According to Louisiana Entertains (another regional cookbook), jambalaya is a descendent of paella, brought to New Orleans by the Spanish. The name derives from jamón, or ham, but colloquially, the term means “clean up the kitchen.” The dish is a delicious way to use leftovers so they don’t go to waste. I have seen both shrimp and chicken versions, but all jambalayas contain ham. Tasso, often referred to as Cajun ham, is smoked and very spicy with a peppery crust. This version uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts for a very simple and quick preparation. I also suggest using thighs, which are not as lean, but are less likely to dry out.

Recipe notes