Name: Jambalaya, Sahadi’s Way
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 cup [120 g] chopped celery; 1 cup [140 g] chopped onion; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 4 cups [960 ml] chicken stock or water; 1 cup [40 g] chopped fresh parsley; 1 cup [48 g] sliced scallions, both white and green parts; 1 cup [160 g] cooked chickpeas; 1 cup [120 g] diced red and yellow bell peppers; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp ground allspice; 1 cup [100 g] diced fennel; 2 plum tomatoes, diced; ¼ cup [60 ml] liquid harissa; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups [400 g] raw jasmine rice; 1 tsp Aleppo pepper; 1½ tsp fine sea salt; 1 lb [455 g] boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 in [2.5 cm] pieces; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; ¼ cup [65 g] minced preserved lemon rind, store-bought or homemade; ¼ cup [60 ml] olive oil; 1 lb [455 g] merguez, sliced into coins; 2 bay leaves

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Flavors of the Sun

By Christine Sahadi Whelan

Published 2021

About

Hearty rice dishes like this one are beloved throughout the Middle East, so recasting an iconic southern dish with some of Sahadi’s classic ingredients isn’t really a huge stretch. We start with a base of jasmine rice, then add a flurry of Middle Eastern spices, bits of merguez sausage and preserved lemon, and chicken chunks for a fabulous one-dish meal that appeals to everyone.