I am heading to New Orleans today. Well…not really…just figuratively. What I am talking about is Jambalaya, an incredibly flavorful rice dish. Add Andouille sausage and chicken and you have a one-pot wonder. It is a very simple dish that your family will love. The Big Decision…Cajun or Creole Jambalaya?

What is Jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a rice dish thought to originate in south Louisiana in the 19 century. For a short time, Spain had some control over the region in the late 1700s and therefore had some influence on the dish.

Creole Jambalaya

The Spanish dish Paella is very similar to Jambalaya. Paella uses saffron. Since saffron was difficult to find in the Louisiana region, tomatoes were used instead. This was the start of “Creole” Jambalaya or Red Jambalaya.

Cajun Jambalaya

Tomatoes were harder to find the more you traveled into the more rural areas of Louisiana. So in that part of the world tomatoes were not used in preparing Jambalaya. And so “Cajun” or Brown jambalaya came about.

Other Specifics to Creole / Cajun Cooking

My recipe includes the use of andouille sausage. The use of sausage in Cajun/Creole cooking came about from the German immigration to Louisiana during the 1840s and 1850s. This type of sausage is smokey and well seasoned. Many Cajun and Creole recipes include the “holy trinity”. The holy trinity is the Cajun/Creole version of the Classic French “mirepoix” which is a vegetable mixture of onions, carrots, and celery. The Creole/Cajun version typically uses a mixture of onions, celery, and green pepper. (In this recipe my preference is to use red peppers.)

Today we are making the Cajun version of Jambalaya which is a little more seasoned and a little more spicy. It is easy enough to make the Creole version of Jambalaya if you want to go in that direction. You would include a 28 oz can of plum tomatoes with juice. Use the juice from the can plus chicken broth to make sure you have your proper ratio of rice to liquid. You will need to crush the tomatoes before you add them to your pot to cook. Add a little tomato paste and you will have a great version of a Creole Jambalaya. My recipe can be used as your basis in preparing either the Cajun or the Creole version of Jambalaya. The Cajun version will be a much “drier” dish. Make sure you try them both and let me know how they come out and what’s your preference.

(For another New Orleans classic, check here for my recipe for a Muffuletta Sandwich.)

As they say in New Orleans, Laissez les bons temps rouler. Let the Good Times Roll. And as always, thank you for Spending Time in My Kitchen.

Jambalaya

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Recipe by David Frank – Spending Time In My Kitchen

Servings

6 – 8

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

Ingredients

1/2 lb 1/2 Andouille sausage
1 1/2 lbs 1 1/2 Chicken (preferably boneless thighs)
3/4 lb 3/4 Shrimp, peeled and deveined, optional
1 1 Onion, diced
4 4 Celery ribs, diced
1 red 1 Bell pepper, diced
4 4 Garlic cloves, minced
32 oz 32 chicken stock
1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 Long grained rice, basmati
2 tsp 2 Fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp 2 Fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp 1 White pepper
2 2 Bay leaves
Additional Ingredients for Creole Version
28 oz 28 Peeled whole tomatoes, packed in juice
2 Tbl 2 Tomato paste
Cajun Seasoning
2 Tbl 2 Paprika, sweet or smoked
1 Tbl 1 Onion powder
2 tsp 2 Garlic powder
2 tsp 2 White pepper, ground
1 tsp 1 Black pepper, ground
2 tsp 2 Salt
1 tsp 1 Oregano, dried
1 tsp 1 Thyme, dried
1 Tbl 1 Cayenne pepper
Garnish
Louisiana-style hot sauce
Green onion, thinly sliced on the bias (or fresh chives)

Directions

Dice up your onions, bell pepper, and celery. Set aside.
Sprinkle your chicken thighs with Cajun seasoning and let sit for 15 minutes.
Optional: If cooking shrimp; Sprinkle your shrimp with Cajun seasoning and let sit for 15 minutes.
Cut your sausage into little circles. Set heat to medium-high on the stove. Add sausages to a saute pan and cook till slightly charred. Remove sausages from the pan and set them aside.
Add chicken to the same pan you used for the sausages. Use a heavy press to achieve a good char on the chicken. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
Optional: If cooking shrimp; reduce heat to medium-low. Add Cajun Spice to taste. Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to give the dish some added flavor and color. Add a quarter-stick of butter; combine well and cook till about 75% done. Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside. (Don’t throw away that extra spiced butter sitting in the pan. Add all of it to your Jambalaya!)
Add a cup of chicken stock to the pan and scrape the bottom to release all the brown bits.
Add all the vegetables to the pan. Add 2 tsp of the Cajun seasoning to the veggies and stir. Cook till the onions are translucent.
While the vegetables are cooking, add rice to a Dutch oven and toast the rice over moderate heat until they become aromatic and gain a little color. Should take about 5 minutes.
Add remaining chicken stock to the rice. (See step 10) Add the veggies to the rice. Add the remaining spices and lightly stir. Bring rice to a simmer; cover and cook till the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. About 15 minutes. (Try not to over stir the rice.)
Optional: If you are making the Creole version, now is the time to add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste to the Dutch oven. The juice from the tomatoes and the chicken stock needs to be added in a 2 to 1 ratio to the rice. (Meaning: if 16 oz of rice is used, chicken stock plus the juice from the tomatoes should be 32 oz.)
Taste and add seasoning as needed. Add Cajun seasoning or just salt and pepper to your taste.
Cut your chicken into bite-size pieces and place them into the Dutch oven. Add sausages (and shrimp if used) into the Dutch oven. Lightly stir. (Make sure rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.) Cook for an additional 5 minutes over low heat.
Plate your Jambalaya and add some Louisiana hot sauce to bring a little more heat to your jambalaya. Top off your dish with some green onion or chives. Enjoy!!

Notes

Low carb method: If you are looking to keep the carbs low, why not used cauliflower rice! I am telling you, that you will love this recipe. Just substitute riced cauliflower and cook it until it picks up some color. Add some Cajun seasoning to the cauliflower. Reduce the amount of chicken broth you need to 8 oz since the rice will not be absorbing into the cauliflower. Cook the dish until you obtain the texture you want and you are done! Do not cover the Dutch oven when cooking so that the liquid can evaporate.