The Best Jambalaya - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 small fryer
1 stalk celery (with leaves)
1 onion, halved
1 clove garlic
2 cups converted long grain rice
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 lb ham, cubed
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Preparation

In a large pot, cover chicken with water; add celery, onion garlic and boil until tender, approximately 1 hour.
Reserve stock.
Remove meat from bones and cut, slice, cube, or shred,however you prefer.
In 5 cups stock, cook rice until liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes (the rice is supposed to be a bit moist).
In a Dutch oven, fry sausage and ham until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove meat.
Add butter to pan and saute onion, pepper, and parsley until tender, approximately 3 minutes.
Add chicken, sausage, and ham; stir in garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, and Tabasco.
Add rice and mix thoroughly.
Cook over low heat for approximately 15 minutes stirring frequently.
Remove bay leaf and serve.