Sunday 4 October 2009

Farewell Floyd - Jambalaya

I think you would have to be living under a rock for the last few weeks not to have realised that Keith Floyd - television cook, snappy dresser and gastronaut - had passed away from a heart attack.

As a tribute to the trailblazer, James and Julia from the UK Food Bloggers Association are running a Farewell Floyd blogging event. And as it happens, Paul and I had already decided that we needed to do something to mark the passing of someone who gave both of us so much enjoyment.

One of Paul's most treasured possessions is a signed copy of Floyd's American Pie, so it seemed natural that to honour Floyd we had to make something from that book. It also seemed appropriate that we should cook outdoors, in memory of all the scenes of the tide coming in mid-shoot, or the gas blowing out or any of the other hazards that befell Floyd with his location cooking.

And so it was that we settled on Jambalaya. It was Floyd who first introduced me to the notion of the Trinity - the mixture of onions, celery and green peppers that form the basis of a lot of Creole and Cajun cooking, including the Jambalaya, and it is a one-pot meal that really lends itself to outdoor cooking. It's also one of the dishes from Floyd's American Pie that Paul has cooked the most often. I didn't totally follow the recipe, I approached it more as a guideline for a dish.

I don't have enough bowls to do a really cheffy mis en place - and the patio table is too small, so I simplified. One bowl contained my Trinity. One bowl of diced chicken thighs, sliced spicy chorizo and whole cloves of garlic. One bowl of long grain rice, oregano, sage, cayenne pepper and a couple of bay leaves. One large measuring jug of diced tomatoes and chicken stock. And of course, several glasses of wine so I could have a little slurp while I cooked.

Paul made quite a hot charcoal fire in the Weber, and worked his magic on it to keep it stoked for the full cooking time.

I heated the saucepan and then add a good slurp of olive oil. When it was beginning to sizzle I added the Trinity and cooked that until it was translucent. Then I added the chicken and chorizo and gave that a good browning. When the lovely red oil from the chorizo was flowing nicely, I added the rice, herbs and then the liquid. Covered the pan and cooked it until most of the liquid had evaporated. Just before it was done I stirred through a handful of raw, peeled prawns. As soon as the prawns were pink and opaque, it was time to eat.

Vale, Keith.

18 comments:

NKP said...

I am so sorry you lost an idol. I haven't heard of him over here, but it is so hard to lose someone you admire and respect.
What a lovely tribute to the man.

Rachel said...

Jambalaya over a grill. Brilliant!

I love the video. Your accent and smile are just so cute. And is that the Foodycat man going "mmmmmm" in the background?

Alicia Foodycat said...

Natashya - I honestly think that without Floyd there would be very, very few cooking shows on TV. He made showmanship and humour part of it.

Rachel - yes, that would be Paul!

George Gaston said...

Foodycat… I remember reading about his death in the London Times the other day. So, I did a YouTube search and watched some great clips of his shows… what a creative character! Your tribute Jambalaya is marvelous and I am sure he would salute your style.

Check out my blog… the other day I posted a painting by a food artist, Linda Paul. The work is called the Trinity - onions, celery and green peppers.

Great recipe!

Sam said...

Keith Floyd was one of the first chefs I watched on TV, I think he was the first person who made cooking shows entertaining, not just educational.

I'm sure he'd appreciate your tribute, especially as you have a glass of wine in hand!

Heather S-G said...

Delicious tribute...and fun seeing you on video ;)

HH said...

Great tribute FC! The Jambalaya looks and sounds great - I think I will have to give it a go.

maybelle's mom said...

Oh, it is a lovely tribute. And, it helped me learn about him.

Alicia Foodycat said...

George - thanks for pointing me to her work!

Sam - one has to have a little slurp. Rude not to!

Heather - thanks!

HH - it really is a good meal. Hard to make in a small quantity!

MM - thank you!

kat said...

He's someone I never heard of over here at all. Its lovely of you guys to do a tribute to someone you admired

Karine said...

This is a great tribune to Keith Floyd! Your jambalaya sounds amazing.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Kat - you should try and find some youtube footage. It's the only time I've seen a TV cook say that something he'd made was disgusting and throw away the plate!

Karine - thanks! It's a pity that rain has set in for the week because I'd definitely like to do it again.

Julia said...

I love this post. I wish I could have tasted it, it looks fantastic, and it's great to see that you cooked it outside. The video is a great addition, I'd love to have seen more. Thanks for entering.

James Brewer said...

True Floyd style - cooked outside! Top Draw! Thank you for entering. This is the one entry that I am most looking forward to trying.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Julie - thanks for organising it!

James - it was so delicious!

Joanne said...

Love it. Great recipe from K.F.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on being one of the other winners :) Fantastic recipe!!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Apple - thanks!

Anyoneforseconds - thank you! I am so excited!

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