Chicken & Andouille Jambalaya Recipe
| 1 cup bacon drippings (or Crisco) | 4 cups rice |
| 5 pounds chicken thighs | 8 cups chicken stock |
| 3 tablespoons Creole seasoning | 2 bay leaves |
| 1 ½ pounds andouille, sliced into ¼" rounds | 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped |
| 3 onions, peeled and chopped | ½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped |
| 2 ribs of celery, chopped | ½ cup green onions, sliced |
| 2 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped |
Creole seasoning, sea salt and Louisiana hot sauce to taste |
| 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped |
Remove the bones from the chicken thighs and cut it into 1" cubes. The bones can be added to the stock if you desire.
Heat the bacon drippings in a large Dutch oven (preferably in cast iron) over medium-high heat.
Season the chicken with Creole seasoning. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until well browned. The more brown you get the chicken, the more brown the jambalaya will be. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the andouille and cook until golden brown. Remove the andouille and set aside.
Add the onions and cook until they are light brown. Stir in the celery and green bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the rice and cook while stirring for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, chicken pieces andouille, bay leaves, and thyme.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Allow to cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid, add the parsley and green onions and adjust the seasoning with the Creole seasoning, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Don’t stir, but fold from the bottom up in 4 or 5 different spots.
Replace the cover, turn off the heat and allow to rest for 15 minutes.