BIG BATCH JAMBALAYA

JambaLawyer JambalayaMakes 50 to 60 servings

6 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs

4 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breast

1 pound applewood smoked bacon

3 pounds hot smoked sausage, sliced into thin rounds

3 pounds andouille sausage, sliced into thin rounds

2 1⁄2 pounds tasso, diced

2 pounds rolled pork sausage (the team recommends Jimmy Dean)

5 teaspoons olive oil

2-1/2 cups salted butter

8-10 medium sweet yellow onions, chopped fine

2-4 bunches celery, minced

6 green, 2 red, 2 orange, 2 yellow bell peppers, minced

5 heads of garlic, minced

23 cups chicken stock (The team used 20 cups of the store bought stock and 3 cups of the fresh seasoned chicken stock from the boiled chicken)

10-12 bay leaves

1-1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Tony's Chachere's original creole seasoning, to taste

10 cups parboiled rice

2 bunches green onions, minced

1 1⁄2 bunches of Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

In 30-quart stock pot add 3 gallons of water and creole seasoning. Bring to a boil, add chicken and return to boil. Boil until chicken is tender, approximately 30 minutes. Once chicken is cooked, let soak for a few minutes. Remove chicken from pot, cool and shred chicken, removing fat. Do not discard seasoned stock, set aside.

While chicken is cooking, fry bacon until crisp in 6-1/2 gallon cast iron pot. Remove bacon from pot leaving the bacon drippings in pot. Brown the smoked and andouille sausages and tasso in the drippings. Remove the meat from pot and set aside. Brown pork sausage and remove from pot.

Add olive oil, butter, onions, celery, bell peppers, sauté until translucent, about 20 minutes. Add minced garlic and continue to sauté a few more minutes continuing to stir as you do not want the garlic to burn. Add all meats to cast iron pot, stirring well and scraping the sides of the pot.

Add chicken stock, and bay leaves, peppers, salt and Tony's Chachere's. Bring to a boil. Add rice and stir. Bring back to a boil, lower heat. Cover and simmer, approximately 40 minutes until rice is tender.

Keep pot covered to keep the steam in and do not stir the rice. Once rice is cooked, add green onions and stir gently. Do not over stir as it will make the rice mushy. Top with fresh parsley.