Published May 1, 2002.
For the best chicken jambalaya recipe, start with chicken thighs, which are meaty and have enough fat to prevent dryness. Brown the chicken to develop flavor and remove the meat from the bone to make eating easier. Don't use too much liquid and add the shrimp at the very end of the cooking time to prevent them from becoming tough.
Because andouille varies in spiciness, we suggest tasting a piece of the cooked sausage and then adjusting the amount of cayenne in the jambalaya to suit your taste. If you can't find andouille, try tasso, chorizo, or linguiça; if using chorizo or linguiça, consider doubling the amount of cayenne. The onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic can be chopped by hand instead of in the food processor. The shrimp don't need to be deveined, but you can do so if you prefer. If you're serving only four people, you may choose to skip the shredding step and serve the chicken on the bone.
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