COLE'S COOKING A TO Z –by Brete Harrison

The name alone sounds like a party. Jambalaya, the New Orleans favourite, is a great main dish for both large celebrations and more intimate dinners.

It can be served at the table from a tureen, home-style, or on individual plates. And Jambalaya's main ingredients are simple and readily available.

Boneless chicken breasts and Andouille, a smoked Cajun sausage, balance each other in texture and taste, from mild to slightly spicy. Round out the meal with a side of asparagus and bell peppers served as a sauté or with a bright lemon vinaigrette.

KITCHEN SUCCESS TIPS:

— While the whole meal can be prepared at the same time, the asparagus can be done earlier in the day and reheated at serving time.

CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE JAMBALAYA

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 pounds)

5 tablespoons oil

1 pound Andouille

2 onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons flour

8 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or one can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups long-grain white rice

¼ cup chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Pat chicken dry. Slice each chicken breast into five pieces. In a six-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add two tablespoons oil and sauté chicken until light brown (approximately 10 minutes); remove and reserve.

2. Cut Andouille into pieces about 2 ½ inches long. In same Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté Andouille until lightly browned (approximately 10 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

3. In remaining oil over medium heat, sauté onions, celery, carrot, bell pepper and garlic until golden brown (10 to 12 minutes).

Stir in flour and cook until light brown (approximately 10 minutes). Stir in tomatoes. Season with cayenne, thyme, salt and pepper.

4. Add chicken stock; bring to a boil over medium-high heat and add rice and chicken. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (approximately 20 minutes).

Stir in reserved Andouille, cooking another 15 minutes. Lightly sprinkle with parsley and serve piping hot. Serves eight.

CRISP ASPARAGUS AND RED BELL PEPPER SAUTE

2 pounds thin asparagus

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced thinly

1 bunch basil, sliced thinly

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. In a 4 ½-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Trim dry stem ends from asparagus.

Place asparagus in boiling water; reduce heat to medium, cooking until tender when pierced with a knife (approximately three minutes). To stop cooking process, plunge asparagus into ice water.

2. In a wok (or 14-inch skillet) over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté onion until slightly wilted (approximately 5 minutes). Stir in bell peppers, asparagus, basil, salt and pepper and cook until hot (between four to five minutes), tossing to combine. Serves eight to 10.

VARIATION

As an alternative, prepare and cook

2 pounds of asparagus as directed above. Seed and thinly slice

2 red bell peppers.

Serve asparagus and bell pepper strips with a bowl of Lemon Vinaigrette (below) for dipping.

LEMON VINAIGRETTE

This dressing, accented with fresh lemon juice, sparks baby greens and other mild-flavoured greens.

Fresh peas, cherry tomatoes and asparagus spears can bolster a simple salad.

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup vegetable oil

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Freshly ground pepper

Whisk together all ingredients. Makes ? cup.

For additional culinary information and recipes from Cole's Cooking A to Z, e-mail AtoZ@culinarysocietyofamerica.com.