This recipe is an experiment because I just discovered that I'm out of my plain old white rice and I'm planning on making jambalaya tonight.  If I've published this recipe, that means it didn't turn out so bad!

• chicken thighs (3 or 4)
• Emeril's Essence or other creole seasoning
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 pound chopped tasso
• 1/2 pound sliced andoullie sausage
• 1 cup sweet onion – chopped
• 1 cup celery – chopped
• 1/2 red pepper chopped
• 1/2 green pepper chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about one large clove)
• 1 1/2 cups Aborio rice
• 1 cup white wine (because it was in the fridge)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen with garlic and onion).
• 5 cups (approx) chicken broth — room temperature
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• fresh chopped parsley and sliced green onion and tabasco to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sprinkle chicken thighs with Emeril's Essence and cook until done.

In a large pot, saute andoullie sausage (or polish sausage) and tasso in 2 tablespoons of butter and a drizzle of olive oil until lightly browned.  Add onion, celery and peppers and saute  until soft.  Add garlic and bay leaves stirring for a few minutes.

Add rice and stir for a couple minutes until well mixed.  Add wine stir and then add the tomatoes with juices.  Add broth at about a cup at a time.  Stir (stir and stir until evaporated.  The trick with risotto is to only add a bit of broth at time and stir it until it's absorbed…repeating until the risotto is creamy).  

When chicken is done in the oven, roughly shred it and add to the risotto along with the juices.   Add spices and pepper and salt to taste.  Top with parsley and sliced green onions. 

I think we like this better than "plain rice".  The risotto give is a nice creamy texture with the spice…mmmm mmmm!