Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a very popular rice dish in New Orleans which has Spanish, West African and French influences. It is made sausage, chicken and / or shrimp. It can be spicy or just well-seasoned. I have also had jambalaya with pork and a brown base instead of a tomato base. Are you noticing a theme yet? Most dishes in New Orleans have a recipe but everyone makes the dish a little different.

Another common practice is the one pot prep. Jambalaya is made all in one pot, but I cheat a little. Instead of adding the uncooked rice to the pot with all the ingredients, I cook the rice in a rice cooker and add the cooked rice to the sausage that is simmering in the chicken broth and tomato sauce. The rice comes out perfect every time! Although the rice is cooked, it absorbs the sauce perfectly for a wonderful dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups cooked rice
• Vegetable oil
• 2 pounds smoked sausage
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Parsley
• 1 tbsp Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning®
• 2 tbsp Paul Prudhomme’s New Orleans Magic Seasoning®

PREPARATION

Cook 4 cups of white rice in a rice cooker. When it is done, unplug rice cooker, uncover the rice so it can cool slightly and become less sticky.

Slice the sausage lengthwise then cut it into ½ inch pieces which will be perfect bite size pieces in the jambalaya.

Use a large heavy pan (or pot) that will accommodate sausage and 4 cups liquid-tomato sauce and chicken broth.  Heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large heavy pan and add the sliced sausage. Start to brown the sausage and sprinkle with Creole Seasoning. Before the sausage is complete, add the vegetables and continue until vegetables are soft and translucent and sausage has continued to brown. Add garlic at the end.

Dissolve 1 tbsp chicken base in 8 ounces of water.  Add tomato sauce and chicken base to the sausage and onions and peppers. Then add parsley and additional Creole Seasoning to taste. Mix well and allow to simmer at a lower heat for a few minutes. Remove from heat and then add a spoon of cooked rice at a time to sausage mixture. All the rice may not be needed. The jambalaya will be dry if too much rice is added.

This dish can be served as an entree or as a side dish.

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Jambalaya

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Author Monique Olivier Getzinger

Ingredients

• Rice Cook 4 cups of long grain rice
• 2 pounds smoked sausage
• 1 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• 1 cup finely diced green pepper
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 3 cloves minced fresh garlic
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth I use Better Than Bouillon
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning® I use Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning and Paul Prudhomme’s New Orleans and Paul Prudhomme’s Meat Magic) Note: Tony’s has mores salt so you can salt to taste. Paul’s has less salt, so you can use both
• 1 tsp Paul Prudhomme’s New Orleans Meat Magic®

Instructions

• Cook 4 cups of white rice in a rice cooker. When it is done, uncover the rice so it can cool slightly and become less sticky.
• Slice the sausage lengthwise then cut it into ½ inch pieces which will be perfect bite size pieces in the jambalaya.
• Use a large heavy pan (or pot) that will accommodate sausage and 4 cups liquid-tomato sauce and chicken broth.  Heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large heavy pan and add the sliced sausage. Start to brown the sausage and sprinkle with Creole Seasoning.
• Before the sausage is completely browned, add the vegetables and cook until vegetables are soft and translucent and sausage has continued to brown. Add garlic at the end.
• Dissolve 1 tbsp chicken base in 8 ounces of water.  Add tomato sauce and chicken broth to the sausage and onions and peppers. Then add parsley and additional Creole Seasoning. Mix well and allow to simmer at a lower heat for a few minutes.
• Remove from heat and then add a spoon of cooked rice to sausage mixture and incorporate it well. Continue to add the cooked rice while mixing it well. All of the cooked rice may not be needed. It will be dry if too much rice is added.
• This dish is excellent on its own or as a side dish.

Enjoy Keeping It Creole!⚜️

Keeping It Creole, LLC

Enjoy Keeping it Creole!