That’s it. I make a killer Creole, but am craving some kick-ass jambalaya. Ah-eeeee!
One bump and I’m gone.
I got you. Give me a minute.
I’ve made this about 10 times. We have a local chef with a Russo’s great jambalaya. He made the best I ever had until I learned to make it myself.
Ingredients:
3/4 pound unpeeled large fresh shrimp
11/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
3 skinned chicken breast halves
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tblsp veg. oil
1/2 pound Andouille sausage, sliced. (this is important–don’t skimp and buy the crap. Buy the real stuff. My local gourmet food store sells it for $10/lb, flies it in from N.O.).
1-large green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can of tomatoes, undrained, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 cup long grained rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cup water
Chopped green onions
Peel and devein shrimp; set aside
Rub 1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning over chicken. Place chicken in lightly greased 2-Qt. casserole; bake, uncovered, 375 degreees for 15 mins. Drizzle melted butter over chicken; bake 20 more mins. Let cool. bone and coarsely shred chicken.
Cook shrimp in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, until shrimp turns pink. Remove from Dutch oven; cover and set aside. Cook sausage in Dutch oven until browned. Add green pepper, onion, and garlic to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 mins. Add tomatoes and next 3 ingredients. Cover and simmer 20 mins.
Add rice and water; cover and simmer 20 mins. Uncover and cook 10 additiional mins or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in shrimp and shredded chicken; cook until really heated.
\Sprinkle with chopped green onions.
Sorry for sounding so “recipe” like. I’m in the middle of something and had to just type this verbatim.
Sounds like a winner. I’ve got some Penzey’s Cajun seasoning in the cupboard that should do nicely. Surprised that it only has two of the three “holy trinity” veggies, but I can always add celery.
>11/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
I often see seasoning mixes call for in cajun recipes. Although they can be had around here, it’s not a staple in my spice cupboard.
What are the main constituents?
ETA: Penzey’s sure has a lot of stuff in it!
Paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, thyme, black pepper (and/or white pepper), salt. You can go a little beyond this, but this is my basic cajun/creole seasoning. Everything is in equal amounts except for the paprika and garlic powder, which I use two parts of.
Here’s one I use. I follow it sort of loosely, however.
I like using the chorizo.
Chorizo would add a nice kick to it, but perhaps I’d cut back on the cayenne. Or not. Not sure about mushrooms in this dish, but I kinda like the idea of a bit of allspice.
this is a great recipe http://http://fivespiceflavor.blogspot.com/2010/04/skillet-jambalaya.html
I have tried it many times and love it.
Linky no work.
When I get home tonight I’ll look some up in “Talk About Good” a recipe book put together by a ladies club in Lafayette, Louisiana, and from before the time Cajun food became a fad - so it is authentic.
I owe you one - we had your ground lamb recipe Saturday night, and it was great.
I have that book, but was very disappointed in the jambalaya recipe I found in there. I also have Prudhomme’s book and the Times-Picayune book. Glad you liked the lamb.
This Emiril recipe is the one I’ve made, and it was pretty tasty.
Well, I went with the recipe in Prudhomme’s book, just because it seemed to be the most complete and authentic. Used locally made fresh andouille instead of smoked, but otherwise kept to the script. That’s some seriously good eats.
Based on Justin Wilson’s recipe:
1 whole chicken
1 lb shrimp
1 lb andoille sausage (i’ll use whatever is available)
1 large onion coarsely chopped
1 large red bell pepper coarsely chopped
1 large green bell pepper coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups carolina long grain rice
smoke salt
fresh ground black pepper
cayenne sauce
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups beef stock
1 cup sliced black olives
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
2-3 tbsps olive oil
Cut the chicken up into pieces. Cut drumsticks and thighs in half, breast and back in quarters. Leave the skin and bone in place.
Cut the sausage into 1 inch pieces
Peel, devein, and de-tail the shrimp
Start heating the olive oil in a large pot that has a tight fitting lid. Start to saute onion and peppers. Add chicken and sausage. Saute until ingredients lightly browned. Stir in the rice and shrimp and continue to saute for a few minutes. Add the other ingredients. Use cayenne sauce to your taste, and add a few shots of Tabasco if you want more heat. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat as low as possible and cover the pot. Put a rock on the lid. Let it sit on the stove for 1 hour. Do not open the pot until the hour is up (the rock is to remind you).
This makes the best traditional Jambalaya I or anyone else has ever had. It is not a restaurant style dish that attempts to keep the rice grains seperated and the other ingredients in picture perfect condition. A good way to serve is to press it into a soup bowl as a mold, then invert onto a plate. Sometimes I make a sweet and spicy sauce to pour over.
According to Justin: tomatoes are rarely used in Cajun dishes, and you can make Jambalaya with any kind of meat, and possibly old auto parts.
This is my take on it. No tomatoes and whatever kind of sausage I can get. I often have to use “cajun-style” from the supermarket but it’s all good anyway. Also, I switched from breast meat to thighs for chicken.
I wonder if a little liquid smoke might help.
hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Smoke one of the meats instead!
As a very general rule, Cajun cooking doesn’t include tomatoes. That’s more a Creole addition. This dish, however, needs tomatoes and I’ve never seen a recipe without them.