Date: Saturday, October 6, 2012
Time: 1:30 p.m
Number of guests: 12 pax
Location: Bandar Utama

So Boon and I decided to have a makan2 session with the BATS gang, initially to celebrate surviving our Sophomore Sensations showcase.  Due to scheduling conflicts, added to a bunch of us going to Singapore to watch Avenue Q, we finally managed to fix a date in the first week of October.
Ironically, because he was called to attend some course in Langkawi at the last minute, Boon actually couldn’t make it to the event.  And it was his idea, too. -_-

~ Menu ~

Chicken Waldorf Salad | Chicken-in-a-Box | Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

The event was scheduled to happen during lunch time after RTC practice, and therefore I was presented with some interesting challenges.  I wasn’t gonna be around for the whole three and a half hours before the event, meaning I’d have to figure out how to prepare all the stuff on the menu while still making sure the food stayed fresh and warm when the guests arrived.  RTC practice also really cut into my prep time, so I had to decide what to prepare ahead and what to prepare the morning itself.

Add to that the problem of us running out of cooking gas the night before the event day.  It was a total nightmare, and I could only pray that the gas guy would send it over in time the next morning.  Despite that, with the exception of the fried chicken, I took the risk of doing all prep work on Saturday morning itself.

In retrospect, I wish I had prepped more stuff the night before, so I could focus more on actual cooking that Saturday morning.  I also should’ve just assumed the gas man wouldn’t be here on time, and just went with the induction cooker on the get-go.  Then mayyyybe I could’ve pulled off the Tuna Tetrazzini that was originally on the menu.

In any case, many many thanks to Mummy and Kakm’bang, for making it possible and being my backup crew while I was away at RTC practice.  Considering how everything was going wrong that day, without them, we’d probably end up just having pizza or KFC. Haha…

Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/andouille-and-chicken-jambalaya-recipe/index.html

Since my stove ran out of gas I actually had to cook this using an electric induction cooker I found lying around in the storeroom.  I had no idea how hot a Temp ‘5’ would be so I had to just wing it and adjust the temperature settings as I went along.  Luckily I didn’t burn the onions in the process.  The rice turned out a little darker than usual, but at least the flavor was still alright.  Argh the stresssss… -F

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups chopped onions (about 480 gm on the scale, after peeling and chopping off the tops and bottoms)
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers (about 1 large)
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne
• 1 pound andouille, chorizo, or other smoked sausage cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
  • I bought Italian sausages from Village Grocer, the ones packed on trays like other cuts of meat, and not the commercially packed ones.  I’ve tried this recipe with Chorizo before, for a slightly spicier flavor
    
  • Easier to slice when frozen, to maintain shape. Otherwise a really sharp knife would also come in handy
    
• 1 1/2 pounds (680 gm) boneless white and dark chicken meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cups long grain basmathi rice
• 6 cups water (do adjust this depending on the type of rice used)
• 1 cup chopped green onions (about 1 stalk)

Directions

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. If you’re planning on cooking the rice in a rice cooker, so just use the rice cooker pot instead.  Add the onions, bell peppers, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pt to loosen any browned particles. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, scrapping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat it evenly. Add the water, stir to combine, and cover.

If using a rice cooker, transfer the pot from the stove to the rice cooker, and cook until done.

Otherwise, cook over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve.