Skillet Jambalaya

This recipe was from Cooking at Home with America's Test Kitchen. American Test Kitchen’s mission is to develop the absolute best recipes for all of our favorite foods. To do this, they test each recipe 30, 40, sometimes as many as 70 times, until they arrive at the combination of ingredients, technique, temperature, cooking time, and equipment that yields the best, most-foolproof recipe.

Come on, don’t you want to try the recipe out knowingly this is going to the best of whatever you are making? Going into this I know it will not be a simple task. This is not going to be some Rachel Ray 30 minute meals you can cuts corners. I planned to make the Jambalaya on a Saturday so I can have enough time. This is going to be some serious cooking! 12 ingredients and 3 hours later the Jambalaya was perfect! It tasted amazing! It was all worth it! Just a small warning the yields of this recipe could feed a small army. Pete and I still have a ton of leftover. It’s good to know all that hard work will last us a while to enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess skin and fat, salt and ground black pepper
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 ounces andouille sausage , halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2-ounce), drained
8 ounces clam juice
2 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped medium
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
5 medium cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 pound large shrimp
2 tablespoons fresh parsley , minced

Directions:
1. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Lay the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to cook until the second side is golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer chicken to plate. Using paper towels, remove and discard the browned chicken skin.

2. Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of the fat left in the skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the andouille and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes; transfer the sasage to a small bowl and set aside.

3. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, scraping the browned bit off the bottom of the skillet, until the onion is softened, 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the edges turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, clam juice, and chicken broth; bring to a simmer. Gently nestle the chicken into the rice. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.

4. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. Stir the shrimp and sausage into the rice and continue to cook, covered, over low heat for 2 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it stand, covered, until shrimp are fully cooked and the rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken using two forks. Stir the parsley and shredded chicken into the rice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.