Author Notes
I first had this Jambalaya in New Orleans at an old school crawfish boil. What I love about so many dishes from NOLA, such as jambalaya or gumbo, is that they are meant to feed a crowd. They are not meant to be a quick and easy meal for when company drops by but a premeditated meal that requires time, and planning – the cooking is often the focal point of the party itself and the end result a representation of the love and friendship shared around the dinner table. So plan your day around cooking, have a few friends come early to help (or at least to provide some wine and company), and invite the neighborhood. —Chrissy / Eat Some, Wear Some
Ingredients
- Jambalaya
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2
rotisserie chickens
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1/2 pound
smoked sausage (such as andouille or chorizo)
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1/2 pound
uncooked sausage (spicy or sweet)
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3
celery stalks, diced
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1
green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
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1
red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
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2
jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
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4
garlic cloves, minced
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2
yellow onions, diced
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2-4 tablespoons
vegetable oil
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2 tablespoons
cajun spice mix
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2 teaspoons
dried oregano
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2 tablespoons
tomato paste
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2 1/2 cups
long-grain brown rice
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salt and pepper
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1/2 pound
shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Cajun Spice Mix
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1 tablespoon
cayenne pepper
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1 tablespoon
paprika
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2 teaspoons
ground black pepper
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2 teaspoons
chili powder
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1 teaspoon
garlic powder
Directions
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Shred the chicken, discard the skin, and put the bones into a large pot for stock. To make the stock: cover the bones with cold water, bring to a boil, and let simmer at least 1 hour (this can all be done a day or two in advance).??Strain out the solids and set the stock aside or in the fridge. You want to have about 6 cups of stock.
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Slice the smoked sausage and roughly cut the raw sausage into bite-size pieces. Make sure all your vegetables are prepped and ready to go.
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Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the sausage and sear until it starts to color, turning as necessary. Parts of the sausage will begin to stick to the pan, when there is a nice sausage-y coating stuck to the pan, pour in ¼ cup of the chicken stock and cook, stirring and scraping the skillet, until it comes loose. Let this simmer gently until all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the sausage to a plate (but leave the grease in the pan to sauté the vegetables in).
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With the pot on med-high heat, add the diced onion, bell peppers, jalapeños, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until they start to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup of the chicken stock and let this reduce until the skillet is dry (or au sec, as they say in French kitchens). Continue to cook until about 10 more minutes – adding a little stock if the veggies start to stick again.
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Add the spice mix, oregano, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, for 10 more minutes, until things start to stick to the darn skillet again. Deglaze with another ¼ cup stock and reduce again dry.
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Add the shredded chicken, sausage, rice, and stock – check the rice package for the liquid to rice ratio. You want the mixture to have plenty of room so the rice will cook evenly.
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Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes. When rice is done turn off the heat and stir in shrimp. Cover the pot and let sit 3-5 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through.
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