Jambalaya - Another Winner

I had some andouille in the fridge and decided to build a meal around it opting for jambalaya since I also had shrimp and chicken.  After looking around the web, I settled on the recipe from Café Delights.  The only changes I made involved the heat level and I served red pepper flakes on the side.  Karina’s original recipe and a few pics can be found by clicking on the link above.  Since I couldn't get to our Dutch oven and was afraid the 12" sautee pan might be too small, I used our wok and it worked fine.

Jambalaya – Lightly adapted from Café Delights

The Ingredients:  6-8 servings

3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

1 tablespoons Slap Ya Mama/Cajun seasoning, (adjust to suit your tastes/heat preference)

10 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into rounds

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 onion. diced

1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

14 ounces can tomatoes (I used fire roasted)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon each dried thyme and dried oregano 

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne powder)

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Sriracha)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup thinly sliced okra (from the neighbors garden)

1½ cups uncooked long grain white rice

3 cups low sodium chicken broth (our homemade)

1 pound raw shrimp, cleaned and cut in half lengthwise (See note)

Chopped chives and parsley, to garnish (I had no green onions)

Note: I like to cut the shrimp to spread them more throughout the dish

The Instructions:

1. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

2. Brown sausage in the hot oil; remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Add remaining oil to the pot and sauté chicken until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon; set aside.

4. Sauté the onion, bell pepper and celery until onion is soft and transparent.

5. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).

6. Stir in the tomatoes; season with salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and the Cajun seasoning.

7. Stir in the okra slices, chicken, and sausage. Cook for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

8. Add in the rice and chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium. Cover and let simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked, while stirring occasionally.

9. Place the shrimp on top of the Jambalaya mixture, stir through gently and cover with lid. Allow to simmer while stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink (about 5-6 minutes, depending on the size/thickness of the shrimp being used).

10. Taste and season with a little extra salt (mine needed none) and pepper if needed and remove from heat.

11. Serve immediately with chives and parsley. (As usual I forgot)

The Verdict:

We all thought it was delicious and will be the go-to recipe for the future.  I had cut the Slap Ya Mama seasoning in half and omitted the red pepper flakes and hot pepper sauce and the heat was perfect for me but still a little warm for Bev and Pat.  I sure am glad the andouille laying in the fridge inspired me to make this dish.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

08/17/22 meal date