Dean replied to aem:

>> I need some suggestions for spicing this up. I've got chicken thighs and
>> andouille sausage, celery, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, chicken broth
>> and rice. I'm going to cut the thighs in half with the cleaver and brown
>> them, slice the sausage, sweat the chopped 'trinity' and bell pepper,
>> stir the rice in the oil, etc. Now what kind of hot peppers or spices do
>> I add to give it a little bite? I don't want to use cumin or chili
>> powder.
>>
>> I've got black pepper, cayenne pepper, red chile flakes, a couple of
>> jalapeños, some canned chiles (probably pasillas) in adobo sauce and some
>> generic small dried red chiles, but I'm not averse to going out for
>> something different. Now that I think of it I have some fresh roma
>> tomatoes, too. Do people put tomatoes into this kind of dish?
>
> Tomatoes would be good. Many such recipes call for thyme and cayenne
> pepper. A bit of garlic is also good. Tabasco is also frequently called
> for, as are bay leaves.

I think this is just about spot-on, but I'd DEFINITELY call for the bay
leaves and cayenne, and note that the tomatoes ought to be peeled and
chopped before putting them into the jambalaya. I agree with the thyme
recommendation, though I don't think it's mandatory, and a touch of sage
wouldn't be amiss, either. To gild the lily, if you've got some frozen
shrimp, throw in a few towards the end of cooking.

Bob