Jambalaya

This recipe is a modification of a recipe published in the AJC years ago. I don't make any claims towards authenticity because I have only spent a lovely 20 hours in Louisiana. Our friends from New Orleans, Gwen P. and her amazing daughter Amanda (the next world famous ballerina/dancer), are some of the nicest people in the world and Gwen makes the best jambalaya I ever tasted. They don't use tomatoes in their jambalaya, the very idea gave them the giggles, but this is a fairly quick dinner to put together.

Jambalaya

2 small chorizo sausages
1 large onion
1 bell pepper
3 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
2 cups rice
32 ounces chicken stock
1 package smoked sausage
1 14 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons of Emeril's Bayou Blast
1 pound shrimp in the shell

You will need two frying pans to make this dish, a small one and a large non-stick one that has a lid. Start by removing the casings from the chorizo and fry it in the small frying pan over medium heat. Chop the onion, bell pepper, and celery into small pieces, add to large frying pan. Cook over medium heat. Mince garlic and add to veggies. When sausage is done, drain on paper towels. Slice smoked sausage into nickle slices. When veggies are soft, add drained chorizo sausage, rice, and chicken stock. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes, then add tomatoes, the Bayou Blast and smoked sausage. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, adding water if rice starts to stick. Add shrimp (stir into rice), recover and cook until shrimp is pink. Serve with hot sauce and sliced cucumbers. Dad, B., and I liked our cucumbers in vinegar, the girls like 'em plain.