Jambalaya

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz                     Bacon, sliced and cut into 1″ pieces

1/4 cup                Onion, small dice

1 ea                     Bell Pepper, green, julienne

1 ea                     Celery Stalk, diced

1/2 cup                Rice, uncooked

1/2 tsp                 Garlic, minced

8 oz                     Tomatoes, canned, drained and chopped

1 tsp                    Thyme, fresh and chopped

1/2 tsp                  Salt

tt                           Pepper

1 to 1 1/2 cup       Chicken stock

4 oz                      Smoked ham or kielbasa, sliced

8 oz                      Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 TBS                Parsley, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  In a heavy 2 to 3 quart pot or casserole render the fat from the bacon over medium heat.  The bacon can get brown, but do not let it get crispy.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain the bacon on paper towels.

Add the onions to the pot and sweat them until they are translucent.  Do not let the onions brown.  Add the bell peppers and celery and continue to cook for about 3 minutes, or until peppers are wilted.  Add the rice and stir the mixture, coating the grains of rice evenly with the bacon fat.  Add more oil, if necessary.  Continue to cook the rice until the grains start to turn a milky white.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, reserved bacon, thyme, salt and pepper.  Pour in the stock and turn the heat to high.  Once the stock comes to a boil, add the ham and stir the mixture.

Cover the pot with a lid that fits and place the pot in the lower third of the oven.  After about 10 minutes, add the shrimp to the pot, pushing them down into the mixture.  Continue to cook in the oven for about another 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.  If the rice ever appears dry, add a little stock.

Season the jambalaya with salt and pepper.  Garnish with parsley and serve in the vessel it was cooked in.