Chicken Jambalaya

My sister-in-law recommended this recipe to me the other day. It's adapted from a recipe in Ainsley Harriot's book 'Ainsley's Friends and Family Cookbook'. I thought our children would find it too spicy but it wasn't spicy at all just really flavoursome.

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 100g chorizo sausage, thickly sliced
• 486g skinless boned chicken thighs (approx 5 thighs), thickly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into chunky strips
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 225g long-grain rice
• leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 400ml passata
• 300ml chicken stock
• salt and cayenne pepper

Heat the oil in a large, deep casserole dish. Fry the chicken slices until browned. Lift out and set aside.

Fry the chorizo until golden. Lift out and set aside. Add the garlic, onion, red pepper and celery then fry for 5 minutes until they are all lightly browned.

Add the chilli powder and paprika then cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the browned chicken, chorizo, rice, thyme, bay leaves, passata, chicken stock, 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

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Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.