The General Manager of our restaurant is from the South and so I thought that it would be great to make Louisiana Jambalaya. I served mine with Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin, Braised Greens with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Candied Pecans with Bourbon Whiskey Sauce. This dish is all about pork (three different types used throughout the dish) and lots of spicy flavors, balanced by the sweet candied pecans and a rich savory sauce.

Jambalaya is so versatile and so easy to make—you can add any combination of meat/sausage, poultry or shellfish. I used Spanish Chorizo instead of Adouille sausage in my version. Just saute red and green onions, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic until soft and then add lots of different herbs and spices such as, oregano, bay leaf, cayenne, cumin, dry mustard, paprika, salt and black pepper. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, rice and diced meat or shellfish. Finally, add rich chicken stock or veal stock, and cover and simmer on low for about an hour until all liquid is absorbed.

To make the Bourbon Whiskey Sauce, saute onions, celery, and carrots until deeply caramelized. Add minced garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme and tomato paste and deglaze with bourbon whiskey. Slowly reduce until almost all liquid is absorbed and then add rich veal stock. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for a couple of hours until the stock has reduced to a smooth sauce. Strain through a chinois and season with salt, pepper and finish with brown sugar.

For the braised greens I used a mixture of kale, collard greens, mustard greens, swiss chard and radicchio. Slowly cook smoked bacon until fat is rendered, deglaze with apple cider, red wine vinegar and honey and add greens and cook slowly until greens are wilted and liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, to make candied pecans, blanch pecans in boiling water for about 30 seconds, drain and toss in a combination of sugar and brown sugar. Season with a small amount of salt and bake in a 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes until sugar is caramelized and pecans are golden brown. Remove sheet pan from oven and cool completely.

Enjoy!