Fat Tuesday Jambalaya Recipes

FAT TUESDAY JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Place oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken and andouille sausage and cook until browned. Remove meat to a bowl.
• Add butter to the pot and scrap up any brown bits that formed while cooking the meat. Add all the veggies (onions, peppers, celery) and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle Creole seasonings over vegetables and stir to combine.
• Add chicken stock, water, fish sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a good simmer. Add the reserved meat and the smoked sausage and cover the pot. You want to cook the jambalaya for a total of an hour from this point.
• Check the package directions on your rice, and, calculating backwards from an hour, add the rice to the simmering jambalaya to coincide with the completion of cooking time. Cover. Check the jambalaya frequently, stirring only minimally, and add water a little at a time if the mixture seems too clumpy or pasty. It should not be soupy, but it should also not be a sticky ball of stuff. Add the shrimp 10 minutes before the end of cooking. After the shrimp have pinked up and turned opaque, turn off the heat and allow the jambalaya to rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper or more Creole seasonings, if necessary. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
• This dish can be made ahead and refrigerated. Reheat, adding liquid if necessary. Makes great leftovers and work-week lunches.

NEW ORLEANS JAMBALAYA RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot add the andouille sausage and cook on both sides until browned. Remove from the pot and set aside.
• Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside.
• Add onions, bell pepper, celery to the same pot and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, stirring and deglazing the pot as the vegetables cook. Once the vegetables are tender, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the chicken stock, thyme, Creole seasoning, salt, browned chicken, browned sausage, rice and stir to coat.
• Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire, chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the shrimp and continue to simmer until the shrimp turns pink, about 5 minutes.
• Serve warm with chopped parsley and diced green onions