Single Guy Cookbook–Shrimp Jambalaya

I was visiting my friends C—— and E— in PA and after a several bottles of wine we moved all the way from the kitchen table and the empty glasses to the cooking area, a distance of about seven feet, and made this actually pretty simple one-pot dish. One pot if you’re organized! Now as a single guy, imagine this meal as something you might serve four guests. But in reality it’ll be something you can eat yourself over four nights, from a bowl balanced on your lap in front of the TV. Or two nights, and straight from the pot, if you’re the type who binges when he’s depressed.

No, by “organized” I mean that you had some leftovers you were smart enough to toss in the fridge. Like ham, peppers thah haven’t started to turn fuzzy, and even cooked rich (in which case, you cut your cooking time in half). If you have that stuff, most of this dish is already cooked. If not, it’s a good way to spend a Saturday–what else do you have to do?

INGREDIENTS:
* 1 big fat greasy chorizo, diced
* 1 large onion, diced
* 1 red bell pepper, diced
* 1 green bell pepper, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, destroyed
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 6 ounces diced ham
* 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup diced tomatoes
* 1 cup long-grain white rice
* 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
Hot pepper sauce

PREPARATION:
In a Dutch oven (heh heh) over medium heat, cook chorizo until crisp. Take out that chorizo before it gets black and toss it all on paper towels to drain. In the chorizo fat, toss in garlic, onion, and peppers and cook until tender, oh, about 10 minutes. Toss in herbs, ham, and tomatoes gingerly. Add chicken broth. Pause to consider fate of New Orleans. Bring liquid to boil. Stir in the rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Now, instead of your usual cigarette, two glasses wine, and one-eighth of a sudoku puzzle, do the next step instead: The shrimp!

Shrimp is the big expenditure here. This you actually have to buy fresh or forget it. Don’t get the frozen shrimp! I’m telling you! Anyway, sit at the table with a paring knife and a bowl. If you don’t know how to cut up shrimp, then call up the Greeks because it’s just too much for me to explain now, I’m not in the mood. So, 20 minutes are up: Add the shrimp to the pot; cook through. Salt and pepper to taste.Two gallons hot sauce. Just kidding. Maybe. If you want it thicker, get some of the liquid into a cup, stir in 2 Tbs. corn starch, then dump back into the mix. Stir it around, let it cook a little more, hum a little Fats Domino, eat.