As I look for food inspiration during the cold and dark days of February there is often talk of Mardi Gras. It is the carnival in New Orleans that takes place the week before Ash Wednesday and lent.

New Orleans is known for great food, particularly the Cajun and Creole heritage. Some famous dishes are Shrimp creole, gumbo, etouffee and of course jambalaya.

Jambalaya is considered the easier dish to make – possibly since you do not have to make roux for it. It also has the rice mixed into the dish unlike the others that are usually served over rice. Jambalaya could be seen as a cajun version of paella.

Just like the other recipes, you start with Holy Trinity which is a Cajun version of mirepoix. Where mirepoix is onions, carrots and celery, the Holy Trinity is onions, celery and peppers.

This dish is very flavorful and not overly hot in spice, even with the hot peppers, cajun spice, hot sauce and andouille. Of course you can make it as mild or hot as you like.

Jambalaya

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Recipe by admin Cuisine: Cajun, CreoleDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

kcal

Total time

55

minutes

Jambalaya is a Cajun/Creole dish consisting of chicken, shrimp, rice , vegetables and sausage. Holy trinity is the vegetable mix used to start the dish, it is a Cajun version of mirepoix and used in many cajun and creole dishes.

Ingredients

• Jambalaya
• Holy trinity

• 1.5 cup 1.5 Spanish onion diced 1/2 inch

• 3/4 cup 3/4 green bell pepper 1/2 inch

• 3/4 cup 3/4 celery diced 1/2 inch

• rest of Jambalaya recipe

• 3 Tbs 3 olive oil

• 1 lb 1 chicken breast cut up in 1,5 inch pieces

• 10 oz 10 andouille sausage sliced

• 3 cloves 3 garlic cloves minced

• 1 cup 1 okra sliced

• 2 cups 2 tomatoes diced 1/2 inch (you can use canned)

• 1 Tbs 1 hot pepper – jalapeno, chili, fresno or other minced

• 2 Tbs 2 Cajun spice

• 2 tsp 2 gumbo file

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 pepper flakes

• 1 tsp 1 salt

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 hot sauce

• 2 Tbs 2 Worcestershire

• 1.25 cups 1.25 rice (dry – uncooked)

• 2.5 cups 2.5 chicken or shrimp stock

• 12 oz 12 shrimp large raw peeled

• 2 whole 2 scallions sliced thin

Directions

• Gather all your ingredients. Wash and peel the vegetables. Cut up and measure out all your ingredients.
• Heat half the oil in the dutch oven or soup pot and lightly brown the sausages. Move the sausage pieces to the side and add the chicken to brown on all sides.
• Move the chicken and sausage to a separate plate or the outside of the pot. Add the rest of the oil and the garlic as well as the holy trinity. Cook over medium heat while stirring until the vegetables are translucent then mix the chicken and sausage in.
• Add the okra, tomatoes and seasoning to the pot and mix well, bring it to a simmer.
• Add the rice and stock to the pot and stir in, cover with a lid and cook on low heat about 15-20 minutes until the rice is almost done.
  
• Add the shrimp and stir in, cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the shrimp are just cooked.
  Sprinkle the chopped scallions over it and serve.

Equipment

• cutting board, chefs knife, paring knife, measuring cups and spoons
• dutch oven or soup pot holding 6-8qts, stirring spoon