Chicken and seafood jambalaya

2½ tablespoons chicken fat

1 cup chopped Tasso or smoked ham

½ pound sliced andouille or smoked sausage

1½ cups chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chicken breast with skin cut into bite-sized pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 bay leaves

1½ teaspoons salt

1½ teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1½ teaspoons white pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

¾ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 cups seafood stock or water

½ cup chopped green onion

2 cups uncooked converted rice

1 pound peeled medium shrimp

1 dozen oysters (optional)

Remove chicken skin and render in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat to produce fat, then remove and discard skin. Add ham and sausage to hot fat and sauté until crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add onion, celery and bell pepper; sauté till tender but firm, about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the pan bottom well.

Add the chicken and raise the heat to high for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic, Tabasco and other seasonings and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan as needed. Add tomatoes and cook for 7 minutes stirring often. Stir in stock or water and bring to a boil. Then stir in green onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the rice, shrimp and oysters. Stir well and remove from heat. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.

Makes six servings

Chef Paul Prudhomme