Every once in awhile I get these random cravings for things that I rarely eat. Take this jambalaya for instance. I’ve had jambalaya less than a handful of times and really don’t have any particularly memorable jambalaya experiences that I can refer. Honestly, I can’t tell you where exactly I had it or who made it, but I know I’ve eaten it. I have a vague memory of even making it eons ago. But of course, a few weeks ago I got this crazy idea in my head that I had to make jambalaya. Go figure. I honestly think that in a past life I was a Southern grandmother or something.
For the uninitiated, jambalaya is Lousiana creole rice dish. It’s similar to a Spanish paella to a certain degree. It can contain chicken, sausages, seafood and occasionally other types of meat. Sometimes it has tomatoes and sometimes it doesn’t. And it pretty much always has the “holy trinity” in it (celery, onions and peppers). Honestly, what’s not to love? Rice? Good. Sausage? Good. Shrimp? Good. Holy Trinity? Good. See, pure goodness.
The ingredients are pretty straightforward and easy to source. Well unless you live in Toronto and need to find Andouille. Luckily I did some digging and the question of where to find Andouille in Toronto has been asked before. I had to go to St. Lawrence Market which is hardly a chore (even if I did go on a Saturday). And the folks at Sausage King were even nice enough to give me the exact quantity that I needed, meaning they split a pack for me. Now that’s service.
Maybe it’s just me, but I hear the words jambalaya and I think that there’s some sort of involved process coming up. Not at all. There isn’t a ton of intricate chopping required and the cook time is minimal and you end up with a one-pot meal. I made this on a weekday and it didn’t faze me one bit.
The recipe is via Emeril Lagasse. I went with an Emeril recipe because a.) it had been reviewed over a hundred times and b.) Emeril knows Lousiana goodness. I’ve never been a huge Emeril fan and as I’m typing this I realize that I haven’t seen Emeril anywhere in AGES. Anyone know what Emeril is up to these days?
As expected, Emeril did not disappoint. This dish was simple, satisfying and full of flavour. I’m not a big fan of chicken generally so next time I might pass on the chicken in favour of turkey or leaving out poultry altogether. This is definitely a winner.
Cajun Jambalaya
12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
4 ounces chicken, diced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
Salt and pepper
Combine the shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning together in a bowl and mix.
Heat the oil over high heat and sautée the onion, pepper and celery for about 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Slowly stir in the rice and add the broth.
Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.
Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Mix all ingredients together and store.
Yield: 2/3 cup
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
