Spicy Creole Jambalaya

 

Jambalaya is one of those one pot wonders. Creole Jambalaya (or “red jambalaya”) originates from the French Quarter of New Orleans and includes tomatoes. What I love about it is the hodgepodge of flavors which all meld together, because it is all prepared in one pot. This is soul food at its finest. It’s hearty, satisfying and “oh, so comforting.” It’s ideal party food because it feeds a crowd. Not having a party? Not a problem, as it freezes well, which makes for an easy “already prepared” meal on those hectic days when you don’t have time to cook. Along with the aromatic trinity of bell peppers, celery and onions, this variation includes chicken, Andouille sausage and shrimp. Savory, spicy and earthy, this bold Cajun dish takes center stage during the Mardi Gras, but is deserving of being relished year-round.

I usually use home-made Creole seasoning, which is a staple in my pantry. For this recipe I combine a 50/50 blend of Emeril's Essence (also known as Bayou Blast) and Baby Bam. The Baby Bam has no cayenne pepper in it, so it cuts back on the overall heat by replacing some of the Essence with the Baby Bam.

Veggie Prep: Chop onion, bell peppers, and celery. Mince garlic. Thinly slice green onions. Chop parsley.

Peel and devein shrimp. 

Trim chicken of excess fat and dice into 2-inch cubes. (Thoroughly clean cutting board and knife before proceeding with sausage.)

Cut Andouille sausage into medallions, then slice each medallion in half (or just thinly slice, if you prefer.)

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add cubed chicken and season with 1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning. Saute until brown, 8 to 10 minutes (longer if using thighs), until browned. Remove to platter and set aside.

Add another 2 Tablespoons olive oil, then add Andouille sausage. (By now, you are probably hating me, saying that the bottom of the pot is a burnt on mess already. That’s good….that’s what you want. The accumulated browned bits will loosen up when you add the trinity of veggies and liquid.) Cook sausage 6 to 10 minutes, or until browned, stirring often. Remove to platter and set aside.

Add final 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to pot. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. (I know, by now the bottom of your pot is a total disaster.) Add onion, bell peppers, celery, fresh thyme leaves and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until onions are translucent and vegetables start to soften, about 4 minutes. (As you stir, now you will be able to start scraping up the browned bits on the pot bottom.) 

Stir in rice. 

Then add chicken stock, tomatoes and bay leaves. Stir well, scraping up any remaining browned bits left on bottom of pan. Add Creole seasoning (you can add the remaining amount, or add less if you prefer.) The Andouille sausage already adds a good amount of spicy heat to the dish, so you may want to add the remaining Creole seasoning gradually, and adjust to taste, rather than add all at once.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add the shrimp. Cover and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. 

Stir chicken and sausage into rice mixture. 

Add green onions and chopped parsley. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Cover and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

This is great served with Cheddar cornbread or jalapeno corn muffins; but even better still, when served with Cajun Beer Bread (which I will post tomorrow).

SPICY CREOLE JAMBALAYA
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 5 to 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut in 2-inch cubes (or substitute 1-1/2 pounds chicken breast)
• 2 Tablespoons Creole seasoning, divided* (or adjust quantity to your preference)
• 1 pound (5 to 6 links) Andouille sausage, sliced thin (or substitute any smoked sausage)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 1-1/2 cups chopped celery
• 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups raw long-grain rice
• 6 cups chicken stock (or substitute chicken broth)
• 2 cans (10 ounces each) Ro-Tel tomatoes with chiles, undrained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 2 pounds medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add cubed chicken and season
    with 1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning. Saute until brown, 8 to 10 minutes (longer if using thighs), until
    browned. Remove to platter and set aside.
2. Add another 2 Tablespoons olive oil, then add Andouille sausage. (By now, you are probably hating
    me, saying that the bottom of the pot is a burnt on mess already. That’s good….that’s what you want.
    The accumulated browned bits will loosen up when you add the trinity of veggies and liquid.) Cook
    sausage 6 to 10 minutes, or until browned, stirring often. Remove to platter and set aside.
3. Add final 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to pot. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add onion, bell
    peppers, celery, fresh thyme leaves and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until onions are translucent
    and vegetables start to soften, about 4 minutes. (As you stir, now you will be able to start scraping up
    the browned bits on the pot bottom.)
4. Stir in rice. Then add chicken stock, tomatoes and bay leaves. Stir well, scraping up any remaining
    browned bits left on bottom of pan. Add Creole seasoning (you can add the remaining amount, or add
    less if you prefer.) The Andouille sausage already adds a good amount of spicy heat to the dish, so you
    may want to add the remaining Creole seasoning gradually, and adjust to taste, rather than add all at
    once.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add the shrimp. Cover and
    simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Stir chicken and sausage into rice mixture. Add green onions and chopped parsley. Stir well to combine. 
    Cover and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and rice has absorbed most of the
    liquid.



*NOTE: For this recipe I combine a 50/50 blend of Emeril's Essence (also known as Bayou Blast) and Baby Bam. The Baby Bam has no cayenne pepper in it, so it cuts back on the overall heat by replacing some of the Essence with the Baby Bam.


EMERIL’S ESSENCE (also known as Bayou Blast)
Source: Emerils.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt (reduced from original recipe)
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

DIRECTIONS:
 
Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Store in air-tight container.


EMERIL’S BABY BAM
Source: Emerils.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt (reduced from original recipe)
• 3 tablespoons paprika

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Store in air-tight container.