Chicken Jambalaya (Creole Stew)

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 340 g smoked andouille sausages, cut into slices
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil for frying
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed through a press
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 can (800 g) tomatoes in their own juice, peeled and diced
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp filé powder (ground dried leaves of the sassafras bush)
• 1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix (salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried oregano and thyme, ground black pepper, onion powder)
• Green onions, for serving
• Steamed rice, for serving

Preparation:

1. Heat a large, dry stockpot or cast-iron pot over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil, then fry the sausage. Remove from the pan and discard the rendered fat. Fry the chicken, adding another 1 tablespoon of peanut oil first, and adding more as needed.
2. Return the sausage to the pan with the chicken, add the onion, celery, garlic, and pepper. Sauté until the meat and vegetables are cooked through. Add the tomatoes and hot sauce, and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the filament powder and Cajun spice mixReduce heat to low and simmer for at least 1 hour. Serve on a bed of rice, sprinkled with green onions.