Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a famous southern dish that originates from New Orleans, Louisiana and was created under the influence of French and Spanish cuisines. Typically, it is a very spicy dish and normally includes: rice, celery, onion, red bell pepper, chicken or pork, seafood and smoked sausage. This phenomenal dish which is close relative to Spanish paella with French touch is often one of favorite dishes of hot and spicy food lovers. As a rule, it is served warm and freshly prepared so by definition it does not easily fit into a common restaurant offering. It is not possible to make Jambalaya in 15-20 minutes, and reheating it is a poor choice since it dramatically alters the taste of this hearty dish. Jambalaya can be eaten cold and in my experience tastes very good, but of course serving it cold in a restaurant is a non-starter, it is simply not acceptable.

Summing it up, it’s very hard to impossible to find a place where freshly cooked Jambalaya is served. If you want a good tasting Jambalaya, simply you will have to cook it yourself. Yes, it does take couple of hours to cook, but since amazingly tasty food is what you are after, that is not a problem.

My first experience with this dish goes back to time of my arrival to my new home country Canada. My cousin took me out for a dinner and this is what I had. I recall the dish being very hot and how I was intrigued by unusual combination of ingredients. Over time I was looking for a good recipe but never managed to find something really exceptional, until now.

Lately I have been enjoying cooking by following the recipes of Chef Greg Easter. Chef Easter is an amazing individual and culinary expert who has unselfishly made his knowledge available through several of his books and via his YouTube channel “CookinginRussia”. The recipe of Jambalaya which I present today, is his recipe. The dish has a delicious complex flavor and is definitely worth the effort. I’ve prepared it today for dinner and I just couldn’t stop eating, it was so good. Even if you are concerned about the spiciness that can be easily adjusted to taste and therefore does not pose a problem.

Print Recipe

Jambalaya

Louisiana/New Orleans classic.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

1.5 hrs

Servings

people

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 140 g rice Carnarolli or Jasmine
• 140 g smoked sausage cut in 5 mm slices and boiled
• 140 g chicken breast raw, cubed
• 140 g large shrimp raw
• 70 g Canadian bacon diced
• 70 g Bay shrimp cooked
• 70 g Red bell pepper cubed
• 70 g onion diced
• 30 g cellery diced
• 15 g garlic roughly chopped
• 1 Jalapeño chili pepper diced with seeds
• 2-3 canned tomatoes whole
• 350 ml chicken stock
• 30 ml white wine dry
• 200 ml water
• 3/4 tsp smoked paprika spanish
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce

Seasoning

• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Course Main Dish Cuisine American Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 1.5 hrs Servings people Ingredients Ingredients 140 g rice Carnarolli or Jasmine 140 g smoked sausage cut in 5 mm slices and boiled 140 g chicken breast raw, cubed 140 g large shrimp raw 70 g Canadian bacon diced 70 g Bay shrimp cooked 70 g Red bell pepper cubed 70 g onion diced 30 g cellery diced 15 g garlic roughly chopped 1 Jalapeño chili pepper diced with seeds 2-3 canned tomatoes whole 350 ml chicken stock 30 ml white wine dry 200 ml water 3/4 tsp smoked paprika spanish 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp Tabasco sauce Seasoning 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. "Mise en Place", have everything measured out, chopped and ready to cook.

   
2. Make a seasoning from garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes and sea salt.
3. Season cubed raw chicken meat and large shrimp. Cover and put it in the fridge.

   
4. Boil sausage in a small sauce pan for about 5 minutes. Take it out with slotted spoon and let it dry.
5. Add olive oil to a medium size sauce pan, turn the heat to a medium high (7 out of 1-10).
6. Add Spanish smoked paprika to the pan before oil gets too hot. Stir it for a minute or so, just to toast it but don't allow it to burn.
7. Add Canadian bacon. Cook for approximately 3 minutes or until bacon starts browning. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
8. Stir in cubed red bell pepper, chopped onions and celery. Cook for about 4 minutes stirring occasionally.
9. Add sliced Jalapeño chili pepper, garlic, and whole canned tomatoes, give it a stir. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until liquid is reduced and the sauce is fairly dried out.

   
10. Add a rice, mix it well and have it fully coated with vegetables and Canadian bacon. Cook for about 7-8 minutes, stir occasionally, you want to toast the rice but not to burn. As mixture starts drying out adjust the heat to prevent burning. You want some fond to form at the pan bottom but without burning.
11. As the rice starts to stick to the bottom of the pan white wine. Scrape off the pan bottom, deglazing it and letting the alcohol burn off. This will take about 1 minute.
12. Add a chicken stock, stir well trying to scrape off the rest of the fond from the pan bottom.

    
13. Let it come to the boil first and than add bay shrimp, stir well. Reduce heat to medium (5 out of 10) and let it simmer without lid for about 10 minutes. By this time all the chicken stock will be absorbed by rice.

    
14. Add the water and smoked sausage, mix it all up. Put the lid on and reduce the heat to low simmer (2 out of 1-10). Cook on low simmer for the following 20-30 minutes. By this time most of the liquid will be absorbed.

    
15. Stir in a raw chicken. Make sure chicken pieces are completely covered with rice. Cover and cook for another 8 minutes.
16. Add large raw shrimp,Tabasco sauce, stir well. Turn the heat off, cover the pot and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The residual heat will finish off cooking shrimp and chicken.
17. Serve warm.

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