Cajun Chicken Jambalaya Recipes

CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• The most important thing is to use the right equipment and I would suggest the following: a 2-gallon cast iron Dutch oven, a high BTU gas stove, and a large stainless steel chef's spoon.
• Use high heat to preheat the Dutch oven and add the sausage. Using a chef's spoon or large spoon, constantly move the sausage from the bottom of the pot. Be careful not to burn the meat. (Normally I use Manda's sausage because it has little fat, however at this point you may want to drain off all of the excess grease to reduce the fat content from the dish.)
• Add the thigh meat and brown the chicken on all sides. Again use the spoon to scrape the meat from sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot. Browning the sausage and chicken meats should take 20 minutes. Be careful not to over cook the thigh meat to the point that it shreds.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic; saute for about 15 minutes or until the onions are very limp and "clear". Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the "graton". This is where the jambalaya gets its distinct brown color and taste.
• Add the tasso, thyme, basil and black and white pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. This will give the seasonings time to release their oils and flavors.
• At this point the jambalaya concentrate can be transferred to smaller containers, cooled to room temperature, covered and refrigerated for future use. (This is what we do commercially; it allows the seasonings to marry.)
• When you are ready to cook the jambalaya, add the stock to the concentrate and bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium and gently break up the rice. Using the stainless steel paddle, continue to insure that the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot; this is very important!
• After about 5 minutes, fold in the parsley. Continue to scrape the pot to insure that no rice sticks to the bottom. When the jambalaya returns to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer, covered, for at least 25 minutes. Do not remove the cover while the rice is steaming.
• If Manda's brand sausage is not available, any lean smoked sausage can be substituted. You may have to remove any excess grease from the pot after frying down an unknown sausage.
• For a richer jambalaya substitute turkey stock for the chicken stock called for above.
• If no stocks are available, then chicken soup base can be used. Be careful with your seasoning, as bases are usually full of salt.
• Alternate Method:
• The jambalaya is best when served directly out of the cast iron pot. While the rice is steaming, the sausage and meat will have a tendency to float to the surface of the jambalaya. Therefore, after the rice has steamed for 25 minutes, use the paddle to gently fold in the meat and seasonings into the cooked rice. This should only be done once or twice, the rice will loose a lot of heat and the rice will break apart.
• Also note, I do not add salt to my jambalaya. This is because I like to use herbs, tasso and seasonings to satisfy the need for salt. I would suggest having the table set with salt shakers and a selection of hot pepper sauces.
• Plate Presentation:

CAJUN CHICKEN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet.
• Sauté the onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper until tender.
• Add canned, crushed, tomatoes with liquid, rice, thyme, basil, Cajun spices, cayenne pepper, chicken broth, chicken, Tabasco and bay leaf.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• For the Creole seasoning: Combine the salt, black pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, white pepper and cumin in a medium bowl.
• For the jambalaya: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart heavy-bottomed pot or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Rub the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons of the Creole seasoning in a medium bowl until evenly coated. Add the chicken to the pot and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Add the sausage to the pot and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the large bowl with the chicken. The bottom of the pot should be covered with browned bits.
• Add the celery, onions and peppers and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, cayenne, thyme and 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning. Add the rice and stir once or twice to coat. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, cooked chicken and sausage and remaining Creole seasoning. Stir in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced, and you see little holes on the top, about 30 minutes.
• Use a fork to stir in half of the green onions and fluff the rice. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the remaining green onions and serve immediately.

EASY CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent. Add rice, then stir in chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.

CHICKEN & CHORIZO JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan with a lid and brown 2 chopped chicken breasts for 5-8 mins until golden.
• Remove and set aside. Tip in the 1 diced onion and cook for 3-4 mins until soft.
• Add 1 thinly sliced red pepper, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 75g sliced chorizo and 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning, and cook for 5 mins more.
• Stir the chicken back in with 250g long grain rice, add the 400g can of tomatoes and 350ml chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 20-25 mins until the rice is tender.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large enameled cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally to brown chicken all over, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate, leaving oil in skillet.
• Add sausage, cook turning once to brown, about 1 minute per side. Remove to plate with chicken, leaving oil in skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon oil, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan and stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, about 8 minutes.
• Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add bay leaf, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and thyme and continue to cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Return meat and any accumulated juices to skillet. Stir in broth, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender, 20 minutes. Serve.

CHICKEN JAMBALAYA I

Steps:

• Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add celery, onion and green bell pepper and saute until tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth, rice, thyme or basil, garlic salt, ground black pepper, hot pepper sauce and bay leaf.
• Bring all to a boil; reduce heat, cover skillet and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in chicken or turkey and cook until heated through. Discard bay leaf and serve hot.

CHICKEN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a large skillet lightly coated with cooking spray, saute chicken for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the next 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until heated through. , Stir in tomatoes; cover and simmer 10 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve with green onions if desired.

SPICY CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a large pot melt butter over medium-high heat.
• Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic and saute 5 minutes stirring often.
• Add shrimp, chicken bay leaves and thyme. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside and the shrimp is opaque.
• Stir in paprika until thoroughly mixed with other ingredients.
• Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce until well mixed.
• Add sausage and ham stirring well. Add crawfish (if using) and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid returns to a boil.
• Stir in scallions, salt and rice. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and cook 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
• Serve with fresh crusty french bread.