Saturday Night Winebalaya

Or the way a frugal Yankee (redundant?) learns the meaning of lagniappe when applied to jambalaya. Thanks to Pat "Papa" MacAlinden for the euphemism.

I started making this recipe decades ago. I was once described by my brother as a cooking one-trick-pony because it was my go-to recipe for many family functions. Another brother forbade me from cooking in his kitchen for years after making winebalaya there one night. My blessed mother just groaned at the mere mention of its name.

In Chautauqua, one year, I toiled while guests ate bread and drank wine for so long we could not eat it that night, but, oh, did we feast in the morning (it makes a wonderful omelet stuffing.)

I have filled pots and vats and bellies and tupperware in four time zones, I once bought a 32 quart pot to cook it for a bachelor party. I have made it in a beach house, at 9000+ feet, in a hotel room on a hot plate, in one room garrets and in a luxury high-rise apartment who's owner waxed nostalgic that he smelled it for a week after we cooked it when he got off the elevator on his floor.

It is something that begs the company of friends and family, of a conversation where we get to know one another, or catch up after a long time apart. It demands no great skills, no expensive equipment, it needs no timer, and it is really kinda cheap to make.

I will include a stock I have formulated for it, but one may use a packaged chicken stock or one's own homemade stock if one desires.

Winebalaya

4 quarts stock
1 lbs andouille or kielbasa or linguica or Italian sausage, chopped bite sized
2 lbs chicken meat, your call, boneless, skinless breast or a cut up fryer
2 medium yellow onion chopped
4 stalks celery chopped
2 bell peppers chopped
1 jalapeno minced pepper, seeds are up to you
1 banana minced pepper, seeds are up to you
1 Anaheim minced pepper, seeds are up to you
2 28 ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes, tomatoes crushed by hand (trust me on this)
17 cloves of minced garlic (or your discretion)
.75 liters red wine, something you like (again, trust me)
3 cups long grain rice
1 bunch scallion, chopped
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

Brown the chicken on all sides (Mario Batali, the great chef, once said the most common mistake a home cook makes is not letting things brown to the mahogany brown that builds rich restaurant flavor) and reserve.
Brown the sausage (see above) and reserve
Sweat the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and hot peppers (this is my school of slow heat, you may want to add some of the hot peppers with the bell peppers at the end for a brighter heat. Same with the garlic)
Add tomatoes with juice and stock and 1/3 of the wine

Simmer for 1/2 hour, add 1/3 more wine and the chicken and sausage. Simmer for another 1/2hour add last 1/3 of the wine and bring to a boil. Add the rice. Cover and turn the heat down until the rice is al dente, soft or exploded and mushy, rice texture is up to you.

Add the parsley, scallions, bell peppers, and any remaining garlic or hot peppers. I let the whole thing sit on the stove for a while at this point. There is enough residual heat in this pot to melt all the ice in your freezer if you put the pot into the refrigerator, if you want to defrost the freezer feel free.

I like to serve this after about 20 minutes of resting on the stove. This is easily a main dish or one-pot-meal in the classic sense. Maybe serve it with a green salad and some crusty bread.


Stock:
3 lbs stock bones
1 onion, rough chopped
6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
4 ribs celery, rough chopped
3 medium carrots rough chopped
3 tbsp oil
5 quarts water

Heat oil over med-high heat in a large heavy stew pot or dutch oven until shimmering. Caramelize bones until brown on all sides (Remember Mario).Add the remaining ingredients and sweat until tender. Add water and simmer hard for 90 minutes until reduced by 1/5, strain and reserve stock.