Cajun Chicken Jambalaya

Ingredients Serves 4

1.2kg fresh chicken

1 ½ Onions

4 black peppercorns

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 green pepper, seeded & chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

225g long grain rice

115g chorizo sausage sliced

Salt and ground black pepper

115g cooked ham chopped

400g can chopped tomatoes

1 bay leaf

½ tsp hot chilli powder

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp ground cumin

1tsp dried thyme

115g peeled, cooked prawns

600mls water

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Method

1. Place the chicken in a flame proof casserole dish and pour over 600 mls of water. Add half an onion, the bay leaf and peppercorns and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Then lift the chicken out of the dish, skin, bone and chop the meat. Strain the stock and reserve.

2. Chop the remaining whole onion. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice. Add the sausage, ham and chicken and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Pour in the tomatoes and 300mls of the reserved stock and add the chilli, cumin and thyme. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.

4. Stir in the prawns and Tabasco. Cook for 5 minutes more then season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.