Cooking Louisiana  -  Country Chicken Jambalaya
Submitted by J. Knight - Zachary Louisiana

Country Chicken Jambalaya

Chicken: 8 to 10 leg quarters works great, or equal amount. br /> Gizzards, Hearts, Livers (optional, but makes the difference)
Sausage: (about 3 links) I prefer Manda's Pork (2 mild & 1 hot)
1 small pkg. fresh button mushrooms
1 small can of button mushrooms
2 very lg. onions (chopped)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
4 - 5 cloves garlic (diced)
Cooking Oil
Rice (4 to 5 cups uncooked)
Tony Chachere's Seasoning "The Original"

Boil chicken until tender enough to de-bone, don't overcook. Save water.
Cut sausage (see note #1 below) and boil in water 5 minutes to remove some of the grease. Take out and dry thoroughly.
In a #10 Dutch Oven add a little oil, (enough oil to cover bottom of pot). Season the gizzards, hearts, necks and liver (see note #2 below) heavily with Tony's, put in the pot. Add sausage and brown everything, remove when browned.
Remove almost all of the oil after browning meat or add a small amount of oil before you add onions. I like to have a little oil in pot when I dump the onions, it helps it to not stick or burn, if you really aren't watching it that closely, which is easy in the kitchen
Add onions and bell pepper and sauté on a low fire. Bottom will begin to deglaze, don't let it burn.
Add garlic a little while after you start the onions and peppers.
After they become transparent, add 8 to 9 cups of water used to boil chicken. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add mushrooms, simmer 15 minutes or so more.
Cut gizzards, liver, hearts into small bite sized pieces and add to pot.
Add 5 tbs. of Tony's and salt (liquid should taste salty - see note #3 below)
Simmer about 30 minutes or so, add chicken that has been de-boned and cut into bite sized pieces. Simmer for another 20 minutes or so, you don't want to overcook chicken. While doing this turn on the oven to 325ºF.
Add rice and stir well. Return to a boil for 5 minutes or so and shut fire off.
Place pot in the preheated oven and cook for 45 minutes covered.
Remove and stir bottom to top and return to oven for another 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves about 15 people.

Tips:

1. Cut the hot link of sausage on a bias, it keeps the kids from "hollering".

2. Cover the bottom of pan with gizzards (20 or so), use only a few livers (they tend to overpower)

3. Before you add salt, taste the water right before you add the rice, you should say, "Man, that is salty", if it is don't add more salt.
The key is the oven, the seasonings may need adjusting but the rice will be perfect every time.

I'd like to know if you like it.... Please tell Jack...
J. Knight