Nola Cuisine

I made Jambalaya for dinner tonight and it really hit the spot, it’s one of my favorite one pot meals. Here I used Crawfish and my homemade Tasso which added a nice smoky flavor. You could easily substitute a good quality ham for the Tasso, and Shrimp for the Crawfish in this recipe.
I also used Creole Sauce in this recipe which is my absolute favorite sauce in the wide world, it’s so versatile. Read my post on Uses for Creole Sauce.
This was truly one of the tastiest Jambalayas that I’ve made, or had for that matter.

Crawfish & Tasso Jambalaya

3 Tbsp Bacon drippings, Lard, or Butter
1/2 Cup Tasso, diced
1/2 Cup Onion, diced
1/4 Cup Celery, diced
1/4 Cup Green Bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp Garlic Minced
1/2 Cup Fresh Tomatoes, diced
1 Cup of Converted White Rice (I use Uncle Ben’s)
1 1/4 Cup Seafood Stock or Chicken Stock
8 oz. Crawfish Tails
1 Bay Leaf
A bundle of fresh Thyme, tied together with butcher’s twine
1 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
1/2 Cup Creole Sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Hot Sauce, to taste
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Green Onions and Parsley

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat your fat of choice over medium high heat in a cast iron dutch oven. Add the holy trinity and the garlic, cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent.
Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the rice.
When the rice has absorbed some of the fat & liquid, add the stock, bay leaf, Thyme, Creole seasoning, Creole sauce, and the Worcestershire. Add Kosher salt and black pepper to the liquid; it should be well seasoned to make the finished rice taste as such.
Place in the oven, with a tight fitting lid, for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Plate with a 1/2 cup of Creole Sauce, if desired. Top with sliced Green Onions, and minced Parsley.

Serves 2-3

More Jambalaya recipes on this site:

Chicken & Andouille Jambalaya
Shrimp & Chicken Jambalaya

Be Sure to check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes!

I make my Jambalaya partly on the stove, then finish it in the oven, although it takes a bit longer to cook, I find the even heat turns out a better product. For this recipe I used Chicken and Shrimp so I wanted my stock to have both of those flavors, real simple. I heated up the right amount of Chicken Stock and added some raw Shrimp shells to it and simmered for about 20-30 minutes, then strained. It gives it a quick little infusion. I do the same thing when making a Cassoulet, except with Lamb bones, if I’m using Lamb. I will feature Cassoulet in the coming winter months. The Jambalaya Recipe:

Shrimp and Chicken Jambalaya Recipe

Seasoning Mix (1/4 tsp Cayenne, 3/4 tsp White Pepper, 1 tsp Kosher Salt, 1/4 tsp Thyme, 1/2 tsp Rubbed Sage, 1/4 tsp Dried Basil, 1/2 tsp Black Pepper)

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup Diced Andouille Sausage
1/4 Cup Diced Tasso
1/2 Cup Diced Onion
1/2 Cup Diced Bell Pepper
1/2 Cup Diced Celery
1/2 Cup Diced Fresh Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce
3/4 Cup Enriched Long Grain Rice
1 3/4 Cup Chicken Stock with a Shrimp shell infusion (see above)
1 Tbsp Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Garlic
1/2 Cup Diced Chicken (Cooked or raw)
1 1/2 Cup Raw Medium Shrimp
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Italian Parsley
3 Tbsp Finely Sliced Green Onions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together the Holy Trinity (Onion, Celery, Bell Pepper).
In a Cast Iron Dutch Oven, melt the butter over medium heat, add the Andouille and Tasso, and cook until it just starts to brown. Add 1/2 of the Holy Trinity, cook until the vegetables are tender (nothing smells better than rendering Andouille and Tasso with the Holy Trinity). Add the diced Tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Add the Tomato Sauce and cook for another minute. Add the Rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the Stock, the remaining Holy Trinity, Seasoning Mix, Worcestershire, and the Garlic. Taste the broth for seasoning, particularly salt. Add the Chicken, stir well and put the pot in the preheated oven. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. After the twenty-five minutes stir in the raw Shrimp, Parsley, 2 Tbsp of the Green Onions, place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until the Shrimp are cooked through. Serve with French Bread and your favorite Beer. Garnish with Green Onions.

Serves 2-3

Jambalaya is as synonymous with NOLA Cuisine as Gumbo! There are vicious debates about whether the dish is of French or Spanish origin. The word itself is from the French & Spanish word for Ham, Jambon. The a la is French, and the ya is said to be an African word for “Rice”. Personally, I can’t see how someone could dispute the dishes similarity to the Spanish Paella, but hey, my opinion is like everyone else’s: Worthless. Here is what we do know about Jambalaya: It’s delicious! So everyone quick arguing and get cooking! (Although I love that people in Louisiana argue about food!) Here is my recipe:

Chicken & Andouille Sausage Jambalaya Recipe

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Andouille Sausage, Diced
1/2 Cup Onion, Diced
1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, Diced
1/2 Cup Celery, Diced
2 Tbsp. Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup Tomatoes, Diced
1/4 Cup Tomato Sauce
3/4 Cup Enriched Long grain Rice
1 3/4 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Hot Sauce
1 Cup Boneless Chicken Thigh, Diced
(Seasoning Mix: 1/2 tsp Cayenne, 3/4 tsp White Pepper, 1 tsp Kosher Salt, 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme, 1/2 tsp Rubbed Sage, 3 Bay Leaves)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter, saute the Andouille until slightly browned. Add 1/2 of the trinity (onion, bell pepper, celery) saute until tender. Add the Tomato and cook for about one minute, then add the Tomato Sauce, cook 1 minute more. Add the Rice, cook 1 minute. Add the Stock, Worcestershire, Hot Sauce, Garlic, Seasoning Mix, Bay Leaves, the other half of the Trinity, and Raw Chicken. Stir well and bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, but still has a little bite. Top with chopped Parsley, and sliced Green Onions. Put on some Zydeco and enjoy!

Yield: 2-3 servings

**NOTE** You could substitute shrimp or other seafood for the chicken, and seafood stock for the chicken stock. You could also substitute ham, tasso, kielbasa, chorizo, etc, etc… for the Andouille. This dish is great for using up leftovers, its origins are all about stretching ingredients. As long as you keep the liquid/rice ratio you can use whatever you choose.