Tuesday 8 November 2011

Remember, remember the 5th of November: Jambalaya, fireworks and surf...

Ok, so it might not be the “official” version but it epitamized my 5th of November this year and you have to admit, it sounds a lot more fun than gunpowder, treason and plot! 

I was in the deepest, darkest, depths of Cornwall with a couple of friends for what was going to be a weekend of surfing.  Sadly, due to only owning a puny summer wetsuit and the weather turning Balticly cold I ended up wussing out! 

 Instead I filled my time with walks, watching others more brave than me surfing, a great seaside pub called the Five Pilchards...

fireworks, tea-cosy hats, sparklers and Jambalaya...


I travelled down with three chorizo links  from my River Cottage day and a Gumbo Shop recipe book which my parents brought back from a trip around “the deep south” stashed in my bag.  If I'm honest - I have no idea how authentic this recipe is, all I know is: it was TASTY!  (on a side note, another lesson learned is don't wrap incredibly garlicy chorizo in clothes you want to wear in the upcoming days... stinky!) 
Cover the raw chicken with cold water and set over a medium heat.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and set aside to cool.  Reserve the poaching liquid.  Once cooled, remove the skin and bones and cut the chicken into bite sized peices.

Saute the chorizo in olive oil until lightly browned. 
Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside with the chicken.  In the chorizo oiled pan add the onion, pepper and celery and sweat til tender. 
Add the tinned tomatoes, garlic, salt and peppers and cook for a further 10 minutes, contantly stirring. 
Stir in the rice, mix well then add the reserved poaching liquid.  Bring back to the boil then reduce to a simmer.  Add chicken and prawns, and cook uncovered until the rice and prawns are cooked - approx 20 minutes.  You may need to add more poaching liquid as the rice absorbs it.

Serve with a side order of fireworks!   

500g chicken thighs and breasts, bones and skin included
cold water to cover
olive oil
3 chorizo links, sliced
3 small onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1x400g tin tomatoes
1/2tsp white pepper
1/2tsp black pepper
1/4tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp salt
1 cup long grain rice
1 1/2 cups (minimum) stock from poaching the chicken
500g raw king prawns, peeled
 

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