- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 12 large shrimp (about 10 oz total weight), peeled and deveined
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (4-6 oz each) cut into large pieces
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno chile, minced
- 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 C long-grain rice
- 2 C chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz smoked ham, cut into cubes
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- Pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
In large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the chicken pieces and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside with the shrimp.
Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and saute until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute.
Transfer the onion mixture to a slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, broth, and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, 3 hours (mine was done in 1.5 hours) on the low-heat setting. Add the shrimp, chicken, ham, paprika, thyme, and cayenne. Stir well, cover, turn off the cooker, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
William Sonoma