Blog Entry #1: Jerk Chicken Gumbo-laya
Welcome to Cooking with Wine's very first written blog post and original recipe! The 6 other issues of Cooking wth Wine can be found in the video's section as they were recorded live as Vlogs. Sometimes you gotta change things up a bit. So why this dish? Well, I've always been interested in a gumbo or a jambalaya, but I was unclear on the difference between them. A little research showed that there was hardly any difference at all except the way it was served (over rice, or with rice in the dish) and how moist it turned out. I like a moister dish with the rice incorporated in, so this is a Gumbo-laya. Also, I like the spices of the Caribbean a litle more than Cajun or Creole, so I've gone with the Jamaican jerk spice. As you will see this dish also uses roasted peppers instead of sauteed like many other recipes, as I like the taste and consistency of a good roasted pepper. And I adore garlic, so an entire head was used. This dish turned out a LITTLE bit spicier than I intended, but we are spice wimps in this house, so you may find it just fine. So pour yourself a glass of wine, and tuck in for the first original COOKING WITH WINE....
Jerk Chicken Gumbo-laya
- 2 Anaheim peppers
- 2 Jalapeno peppers
- 2 bell peppers (any color)
- 1 chicken breast
- 4 sausage links
- 1 Vidalea (or other sweet onion)
- 3-5 celery stalks
- 1 head of garlic (whole head, not clove)
- 2.5 cups chicken broth (divided)
- 1 cup of brown rice
- 1 can stewed tomatoes
- fresh cilantro
- jerk chicken rub spice (I used the recipe found here)
- olive oil for frying/sauteeing
Cook rice in rice cooker with 2 cups of broth
Prepare the peppers and garlic head for roasting. Cut the top off the garlic, pour olive oil over it and wrap it in foil. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange washed peppers on it, stems pointing to the side. Spray with cooking spray (or drizzle with olive oil) and place in oven with garlic for 40 minutes, flipping half-way through.
Meanwhile, finely chop onion, celery and cilantro and thinly slice sausages. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Put enough jerk spices into a bowl to cover chicken pieces. It may be helpful to do this in small batches to completely cover the chicken and replenish the spices as needed. Heat oil in dutch oven on medium heat and fry chicken pieces until cooked through. Add sausage slices and stir and cook until slightly browned or edges begin to curl. Remove meat from dutch oven.
Add a little oil to Dutch oven if needed and saute onions and celery until onions are clear. Dice stewed tomatoes if desired and add to pot (including liquid in can). Try to scrape up any blackened spices that may cling to the bottom of the pot.
Remove peppers and garlic from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Remove the skins and seeds and roughly chop and add to pot along with fresh cilantro. Stir in remaining chicken broth, simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Add cooked rice and mix in well. If too dry, add a little more chicken broth, if too soupy remove lid and cook off liquid.
Serves 4.
