Bobby Flay's Fra Diavolo Jambalaya

With Mardi Gras just around the corner, this New Orleans inspired spicy Jambalaya is just the ticket!

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay, the celebrity chef with his show "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." on the Food Network.

My wine pairing suggestion to compliment this spicy dish is a cool, refreshing and dry Reisilng.

Enjoy this dish, see you next week! -  Therese

 

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers
4 plum tomatoes, halved
5 cloves garlic, peeled, plus 3 cloves, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle puree, depending on how spicy you like it
12 ounces Spanish style chorizo, sliced in 1/4-inch thick slices
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups long-grain white rice
1/2 cup vodka
2 to 3 cups lobster stock
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 pound cultivated mussels, scrubbed
2 steamed lobsters (1 1/2 pounds each) meat removed
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the peppers, tomatoes and 5 garlic cloves on a baking sheet, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the peppers and tomatoes are slightly charred and the garlic is golden brown. Transfer to a food processor with the chipotle puree and process until smooth; scrape into a bowl.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the sliced garlic and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 20 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the vodka and cook until reduced. Add the tomato/pepper puree and enough stock to cover, season with salt and bring to a boil. Add the chorizo and oregano, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Lift the lid, add the mussels, cover again and cook until the mussels have opened, discarding any that do not, and the rice is al dente and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the lobster meat and crabmeat, fresh basil, parsley and green onions.

 Wine Pairing

Riesling

Riesling is a versatile wine for pairing with food, because of its balance of sugar and acidity. It can be paired with white fish or pork, and is one of the few wines that can stand up to the stronger flavours and spices of Thai and Chinese cuisine.  A Riesling's typical aromas are of flowers, tropical fruits, and mineral stone (such as slate or quartz), although, with time, the wine acquires a petrol note as mentioned above.

 Music Pairing

Buckwheat Zydeco -  Buckwheat Zydeco Classics

Contemporary zydeco's most popular performer, accordionist Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural married traditional and contemporary zydeco with uncommon flair, in the process reaching a wider mainstream audience than any artist before him. infusing his propulsive party music with strains of rock and R&B, his urbanized sound — complete with touches of synthesizer and trumpet are a real party pleaser.