Creole-style jambalaya recipe

This tasty, spicy Creole rice dish from New Orleans combines prawns, chorizo and peppers to make a colourful jambalaya.

Ingredients

• 100g (3½oz) chorizo, roughly chopped
• 2tbsp oil
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped, plus some celery leaves for garnish
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red and 1 green pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1tsp dried or 1tbsp of fresh oregano
• Good pinch of ground allspice (or 5 berries, crushed)
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1.2 litres (2 pints) hot vegetable stock
• 1tsp Tabasco sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 300g (10oz) basmati rice
• 200g (7oz) prawns, raw or cooked

Method

1. Place the chorizo in a large, hot pan, without oil, and fry it for a few minutes until it browns and the pimiento-flavoured oil is drawn out. Remove the chorizo from the pan with a draining spoon and set aside.
2. Add the oil, celery and onion to the pan and fry over a medium heat for 5 mins, until softened.
3. Stir in the red and green pepper pieces, garlic, oregano and allspice and cook for another minute.
4. Add the tomatoes, stock, Tabasco and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 5 mins.
5. Stir in the basmati rice and cook over a low heat for another 15 mins, until the rice is just tender and the stock has been absorbed.
6. Mix in the cooked chorizo and the prawns, and cook for a few minutes until the raw prawns change colour from grey to pink; if the prawns are already cooked, then simply warm them through.
7. Sprinkle with chopped celery leaves and serve.