Recipe How To Make Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French (especially Provençal) influence. It consists of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Traditionally, the meat always includes sausage of some sort, often a smoked sausage such as Andouille, along with some other meat or seafood, frequently pork, chicken, crayfish, or shrimp. The vegetables are usually a sofrito-like mixture known as the "holy trinity" in Creole and Cajun cooking, consisting of onion, celery, and green bell pepper, though other vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, chilis, and garlic are also used. After browning and sauteeing the meat and vegetables, rice, seasonings, and broth are added and the entire dish is cooked together until the rice is done.

Recipe How To Make Jambalaya

Jambalaya is similar to (but distinct from) other rice-and-meat dishes known in Louisiana cuisine. Gumbo uses similar sausages, meats, seafood, vegetables and seasonings, however gumbo includes filé powder and okra, which are not common in jambalaya. Gumbo is also usually served over white rice, which is prepared separate from the rest of the dish, unlike jambalaya, where the rice is prepared with the other ingredients. Étouffée is a stew which always includes shellfish such as shrimp or crayfish, but does not have the sausage common to jambalaya and gumbo. Also, like gumbo, étouffée is usually served over separately prepared rice.

Jambalaya has its origins in several rice-based dishes well attested in the Mediterranean cuisines of Spain and France, especially in the Spanish dish paella (native to Valencia) and the French dish known as jambalaia (native to Provence). Other seasoned rice-based dishes from other cuisines include pilaf, risotto and Hoppin' John.

Recipe How To Make Jambalaya

Ingredients of Jambalaya :

    3 Tbsp. olive oil
    2 ribs celery, chopped
    1 white onion, diced
    1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced
    1 small yellow bell pepper, cored and diced
    1 small green bell pepper, cored and diced
    1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (*more/less to taste, see note below)
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
    1 lb. andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
    3 cups chicken stock
    1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
    1 1/2 cups uncooked white or brown rice
    2 Tbsp. Cajun or Creole seasoning (**more/less to taste, see note below)
    1 bay leaf
    1 tsp. thyme, crushed
    1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
    1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
    (optional) 1 cup thinly-sliced okra
    salt and pepper
    (optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, thinly-sliced green onions, hot sauce)

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and mostly cooked. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, chicken and sausage, and stir to combine. Continue sauteing for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and mostly cooked.

Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, Cajun spice, bay leaf, thyme, and cayenne, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally. (Don't forget to stir, or the rice may burn on the bottom of the pan.)

Once the rice is tender, add in the shrimp and okra and stir to combine. Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked and pink. Remove bay leaf and season the jambalaya with salt and pepper and hot sauce and additional Cajun/Creole seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and serve with optional garnishes if desired.

*If you like spicy jambalaya, I recommend adding 2 jalapenos with their seeds in. If you like it mild, I'd go with just 1 seeded jalapeno. Or you can go somewhere in between, and always add extra hot sauce at the end if it's too mild.

**I also like heavily seasoned jambalaya, so I go with a full 2 Tbsp. If you think that might be too much, I recommend adding just 1 Tbsp and then taste-testing the rice before adding the shrimp. If you want to add more at that point, just stir some extra seasoning in when you add the shrimp.

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