Jambalaya

I’ve always really liked Cajun food. Gumbo and jambalaya have so much flavor. The vegetables combined with the spices create a rich, hearty meal.

I’ve made gumbo several times, but only tried jambalaya once. I completely botched the job; there was an abundance of mediocre sauce and it was simply disappointing. After this, I shelved the idea for some time.

One day recently, I was thinking about what I could make and decided to give it another go. After all, I needed a different dish after making White Chicken Enchiladas and Brussels Sprouts Tacos recently. Going creole sounded perfect.

In case you were curious, the min difference between Cajun and creole dishes like gumbo and jambalaya is the use of tomatoes, as traditional Cajun dishes don't include them. Culturally, there's a lot of differing history, and I recommend reading this article. There is a lot of blend as recipes have evolved over time.

My thing with ordering jambalaya out is that andouille sausage is usually pork. I haven't dined on swine in many years, so this lucky lady found some chicken andouille sausage for this recipe and used only sausage and shrimp in this version.

Jambalaya isn’t a difficult dish, but it does require some specific ingredients. I started out by adding some cooking oil to the pan and add chopped sausage and let it cook until lightly browned. I then removed it form the pan and started on the base. 

The basis for many Cajun dishes include veggies based on French mirepoix. Called “The holy trinity," the basis is onion, celery and bell pepper. I added some oil to the pan and then added my trinity along with some jalapeno. I cooked these until the onion softened, then added some diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and a mix of seasonings. Paprika is key here - it's one of my favorite spices, and is a huge part of jambalaya.

After stirring it well, I mixed in dried rice. I covered and let the dish simmer for 25-30 minutes. At this point the rice was just about ready and I stirred in the shrimp and okra. I let this cook for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp was pink, and stirred the sausage back in.

I usually toss the shrimp in with tails on as I've heard they add to the flavor of the dish, but that's personal choice. I was spoiled this time and used de-shelled and de-veined shrimp. I should also note that the okra is both for function and flavor; they thicken the sauce as they cook. Learned this making gumbo some time ago.

One dish, one pan.

This version was roughly a half size recipe; I had some travel coming up and didn't need a stock pot worth; this worked out great.

Fantastico! Hearty is the key word here. This is a filling, comforting meal perfect for a night in. It was full of veggies, filling, and really hit the spot. Next time you're craving a creole meal, make this one in less than an hour.

Jambalaya Recipe

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced thin

1 small bell pepper, diced

1 celery stalk, sliced thin

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 can crushed tomatoes (15 ounces)

2 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice

2 tablespoons Cajun or Creole seasoning or use the following:

(1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon Beau Monde seasoning (optional)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup sliced okra

Instructions:

Heat pan to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil to the pan and add chopped sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add more oil, then add bell pepper, celery, jalapeno, and onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions begin to become translucent. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and seasonings. Mix well, lower heat to medium, then stir in dried rice. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add shrimp and okra, then continue cooking 3-5 minutes, until shrimp is pink. Return chicken sausage to pan.

adapted from jambalaya