Spicy Jambalaya

At my brother’s request, who received a photo of this lovely dish on our family’s nightly what are you eating for dinner? Text thread (the fun way we have dinner together like we did growing up despite being spread across the country), I went searching the recipe archives for this, and it was not there! 🙀 So I promised to write it up, and I thought I’d share with y’all, too. I do mine differently than the true version – not a fan of okra, nor green peppers – but the heart of the dish is there.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons EVOO

  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (adjust to suit your tastes/heat preference)

  • 10 ounces (300 g) andouille sausage, sliced into rounds

  • 1 pound (500 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1 small red bell pepper (pepper is optional)

  • 2 stalks/ribs celery, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 12 ounce (400 g) can diced tomatoes or Rotel

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

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

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice

  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth

  • 1 pound (500 g) raw shrimp/prawns tails on or off, peeled and deveined

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the sausage and chicken pieces with half of the Cajun seasoning.

  2. Brown sausage in the hot oil; remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add remaining oil to the pot and sauté chicken until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon; set aside.

  3. Sauté the onion, pepper and celery until onion is soft and transparent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).

  4. Stir in the tomatoes; season with salt, pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes (or Cayenne powder), and the remaining Cajun seasoning. Add the chicken and sausage. Cook for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

  5. 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.

  6. 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). You can also cook the shrimp in a separate pan with some juice from the Jambalaya and toss them in at the end.

  7. Serve and enjoy!

Entrees, RiceJ.T. EllisonComment