Cheater's Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

I may have mentioned before, but I love cooking traditional foods from many cultures. And the reason why I like cooking these foods is because I know that every village, every family, every region had their own variations. Despite what we may think today what with standardised cookery books, there was no hard and fast "rules" about what had to go into that dish, or what proportions were needed.

I love foods I can cook without having to follow rules. I especially like dishes that I can cook up without a lot of fuss, while using up leftovers at the same time.

One dish that works very well here is a Jambalaya. This traditional Cajun food dish was made using core ingredients of onion, bell pepper, and celery plus rice and Cajun spices, and then whatever meat was available after a day's hunting and fishing - rabbit, chicken, fish, seafood, alligator - you get the idea.

Traditional recipes today tend to have chicken, andouille sausage, and prawns. But they can be made using any meat, or none at all. Likewise, you can add any vegetables you want - corn, peas, beans, or anything else.

I had some leftover sausages and chicken from our dinner the other night I wanted to use up, so I decided to turn them into a tasty jambalaya. This quick and easy recipe can be cooked and on the table in under 45 minutes.

Chicken and sausage jambalaya

Serves: 3

Cooking time: 30 minutes






Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bell pepper (any colour), seeded and chopped
• 1 cup uncooked wholegrain basmati rice
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp Cajun spice mix
• 2 cups water 
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 cooked Cumberland sausages, cut into bite-size pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Sweat off the onions, pepper, and celery with a bit of the water in a large pan until softened. 
2. Add in the rice and Cajun spice mix and stir until coated.
3. Pour in the water, bring up to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, covered, about 25 minutes. 
4. After 10 minutes, add the cooked chicken and sausage and continue simmering. 
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
6. If necessary, remove the lid and boil off any excess liquid before serving. 

Baked Chicken and Sausages

Ever have one of those nights when you know you need to cook something for the masses, but it's the tail end of a week and you've not been shopping, or you just don't want to spend a lot of time standing in the kitchen?

Well, that's the night I've had tonight.

I had a chicken and a couple packs sausages in the fridge that both really wanted using tonight, and I didn't feel like spending lots of time in the kitchen, so tonight we are having baked chicken and sausages. It's like a roast chicken, except I cut the chicken up so that it would cook quicker. This isn't a quick 30 minute meal, but it is certainly easy.

Baked chicken with sausages

I drizzled olive oil over the top then sprinkled over dried sage and thyme, salt and pepper. This then went into the oven at Gas Mark 6/400F/200C. I've set the timer for 25 minute, and will flip the sausages around to brown the underside then place it all back into the oven to cook another 20 minutes.

This will be served with broccoli and mashed potatoes.

There's a good chance I will have leftovers tonight, so I'll use those to make either a soup or a pile of mini chicken pasties tomorrow night.

Chicken pasty

Bangers, Mash, and Onion Gravy

Sausage and onion gravy (creative commons)

There is little that could be more British than a meal of Bangers and Mash.  These are good on their own, or with a chutney, but when it comes to accompaniments that make this dish even better, you just can't beat a ladle full of a caramelised onion gravy.




To make this gravy, you need to take a bit of time, at least an hour just to cook the onions down to a caramelised golden brown. Oh, you'll find recipes that claim you can make this gravy in less than 20 minutes. These are the same recipes that tell you to add a large spoonful of sugar to the onions. For absolute depth of flavour that brings out the natural colouring and sweetness of the onions, forget the sugar and spend that extra bit of time cooking.

Sausages are a British tradition

The Brits didn't invent the sausage, but I don't think you will find a nation who loves them more than the British do.

Some interesting Sausage Facts

• The Sumerians were making sausages 5,000 years ago


• In 320 A.D. the Catholic Church banned the eating of sausages due to their association with Pagan festivities


• Sausages were first divided into links in Britain during the reign of Charles I (1600-1649)


• 'Bangers' which is the British nickname for sausages, originated from the Second World War when the high water content made them tend to explode during cooking as the water turned to steam


• Sausage machines can fill sausages at a rate of 1 ½ miles an hour


• There are over 400 different varieties of sausages in the UK


• The most expensive sausage in the UK was made from fillet steak with Champagne and truffles and cost £20 each!

According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Meat Services:

• 88% of British households have bought sausages


• 50% buy sausages at least every four weeks


• Every day, five million Britons will eat sausages


• 46% of the total amount of pork sausages consumed are eaten in the evening.

British sausages (creative common)

 

Caramelised Onion Gravy Recipe

You will need:

3 - 4 large onions; use 1 - 2 red or sweet onions. I like to use 2 Spanish onions and 2 red onions - thinly sliced in rings
75 gm butter
400ml chicken or beef stock
100ml red wine - you could use 100ml of ale/bitter or Madeira instead, or substitute another 100ml stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp French mustard - English mustard would be too hot
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking method:

Melt the butter in a heavy pan
Cook the onions over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are soft. You aren't frying them here. You're softening them down.
Decrease the heat to low.
Leave the pan uncovered and cook the onions down slowly until they are browned. This will take at least 1 hour, possibly longer. There is no rush. The slower the onions cook, the more their natural sugars will be released providing the golden brown caramelized colouring and flavour you are looking for. Go back in the kitchen and give them a stir round occasionally, but otherwise just leave them alone to cook.
When the onions are nicely cooked, add in the remaining ingredients. Increase the heat and bring it up to a simmer. Check the seasoning, and serve over a plate of mashed potatoes with sausages.

Cooking sausages

Lincolnshire Sausages

Pick a good sausage for this meal. I'm not talking about breakfast sausage links here. I'm referring to any of the varieties of traditional British sausages. In our house, we like Lincolnshire sausages though just about any will be enjoyed.

These sausages can be fried in a pan, cooked under a grill, or cooked in a moderately-hot oven. My preferred method is to grill them.

I place the sausages in 2 rows on the grill pan and place it under a moderate heat. This allows the sausages to brown nicely on each side as they are turned, and cook inside. Cooking time about 20 minutes.


You can find Lincolnshire sausages in any grocery store and most butchers. For a good authentic Lincolnshire sausage, I recommend buying them directly from Mountain's Boston Sausage Company. I've bought sausages and other meat products from this family run company in Boston, Lincolnshire before and highly recommend them.

Not in the UK? Check with your local traditional butcher. They just might be able to help you. Or, you could try making your own sausages at home.

Once you've gor your bangers and your onion gravy, you just need to cook up a big pile of creamy mashed potatoes, and your meal is sorted.

Sausage and Potato Pie

This is one of those recipes I picked up several years ago when I was looking for different ways to cook savoy cabbage. Of course, I modified it my own use. This is a delicious and filling meal on its own or if you want you could always serve this with some carrots or peas on the side.

It is a nice warming meal for cold days come Autumn and Winter time.

Sausage and Potato Pie

Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 45 minues | Total Time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients

• 8 Cumberland sausage links, or 1 Cumberland sausage coil

  

  Bottom layer of potatoes

• 115 gram butter
• 2 large onions finely sliced
• 175 gram bacon lardons
• 1 head savoy cabbage finely shredded
• 1 kg floury potatoes parboiled and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 570 ml double cream
• 425 ml fresh beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
2. Heat a sauté pan. Add the sausages and gently fry until they are about three quarters cooked and

   

   Cooking bacon lardons

   golden brown. Remove from the pan and slice. Parboil the potatoes then thinly slice.
3. Add 55g/2oz of the butter to the sauté pan and once melted add the onions. Cook the onions gently for 10 minutes or until soft and translucent. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add the bacon lardons to the frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy. Add the cabbage with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the cabbage is soft, but still holding a little texture. Drain off any fat, remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Rub a large gratin dish (30x21x6cms/12x8x2in) liberally with 25g/1oz butter.
6. Place a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish season with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of the thyme.
7. Top with a layer of sliced sausage, then a layer of cooked onion.
8. Top with another layer of sliced potato and season with salt, pepper and thyme.

   

   Layering ingredients into a dish

9. Spoon over the cooked cabbage and bacon.
10. Top with another layer of potato slices and season again with salt, pepper and thyme.
11. Top with a layer of sliced sausage, then a layer of cooked onion and finally a layer of sliced potato.
12. Season once again with salt, pepper and thyme.
13. Pour the cream and stock into a pan and add the bay leaves. Place over a gently heat and bring to just below boiling point. Pour over the sausage and potato pie. You want the liquid to just cover the top layer of potatoes. Dot over the remaining butter and cover with foil. Place the dish on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook for 1.5 hours.
14. Remove the foil from the dish and increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the top is golden. Serve immediately.

The sausage, onions, bacon, and cabbage were all cooked in my SKK Saute Pan. You can find it in the SKK Amazon store linked to at the bottom of this page.