Wild Rice Jambalaya

Ingredients

· 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided

· 4 chicken leg quarters

· Garlic salt (to taste)

· Black pepper (to taste)

· 1 medium bell pepper, chopped

· 2 stalks celery, chopped

· 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

· 2 tsp. minced garlic

· 1 – 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

· 2 cups chicken stock

· 1 cup water

· 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

· 3 bay leaves

· Cajun seasoning (to taste)

· 1 tbsp. hot sauce

· 1 cup wild rice

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Instructions

· Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

· Season both sides of each leg quarter with garlic salt and black pepper to taste.

· In a Dutch oven or large non-stick pot, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil on medium high heat. Pan-sear leg quarters for 5 minutes on each side beginning with the skin side down. Remove and place on a baking sheet. Roast in oven for 20 minutes. Set aside.

· In the same Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Add bell pepper, celery, and onions. Cook until tender, 1 – 2 minutes. Mix in garlic and sauté for one additional minute.

· Mix in remaining ingredients excluding wild rice and bring to a boil.

· Once at a boil, add wild rice and reduce heat to medium. Let simmer for 30 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.

· Add leg quarters to rice mixture. Cook until rice is tender, 15 – 30 minutes. Serve.

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Notes

· Boil an additional cup of water in a separate pot and keep warm. Should your jambalaya need more liquid, add boiling hot water as needed.

· Add Andouille Sausage to this recipe if you’re a fan of pork and spice. It also adds an authentic Cajun flavor.

· When flavoring jambalaya, I prefer part garlic salt and part Cajun seasoning rather than all Cajun seasoning.