Courtesy Gabriel Charpentier, chef de cuisine, The Grill Room at Windsor Court Hotel, New Orleans
Bill Burkhart, sommelier at The Grill Room, recommends an off-dry Riesling for this classic dish. “Hearty jambalaya calls for a wine with a bit of sweetness and acidity like Selbach-Oster’s 2014 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett from Mosel, Germany, which cuts the spicy nature of the dish,” he says.
Published: February 24, 2017
Ingredients
Place rack in the lower-third of oven. Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed, ovenproof, 7-quart pot or large Dutch oven, warm oil over medium heat until it begins to ripple. Place one-third of chicken pieces in pot. Stirring occasionally, cook until browned all over, about 6 minutes. Remove browned chicken pieces to large bowl. Brown remaining chicken in batches, and set aside. Repeat process with sausage.
Discard all but about ¼ cup fat from pot. Add butter and melt over medium heat. Add onions. Scrape bottom of pot with wooden spoon to release browned bits. Stirring occasionally, cook until onions just begin to brown, about 6 minutes.
Add sausage back to pot with half of the Creole spice. Stir to coat and cook, scraping bottom of pot occasionally, until onions are very tender, about 10 minutes. Add peppers, celery, garlic, salt and remaining spice mix. Cook, scraping bottom of pot occasionally, until peppers have softened, about 10 minutes.
Add browned chicken and any accumulated juices, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine, and bring to boil. Add rice, stock and bay leaves. Stir to combine, and return to boil. Cover with tight-fitting lid, remove from stovetop and place in oven. Bake until rice is tender and liquid absorbed, about 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and place pot on a wire rack. Let sit covered for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Stir and taste, adding salt as needed. Sprinkle with scallions and serve. Serves 8–10.
