Jambalaya Recipe

Jambalaya is a one pot dish incorporating a variety of meats, seafood, vegetable and spicy seasonings. It originated in Louisiana but is heavily influenced by the French and the Spanish. There are both Cajun and Creole versions. The Creole version is also called “Red Jambalaya because tomatoes are added giving the dish a red colour. Rice is essential to the Jambalaya dish.

I know that just by reading about the dish you are curious and would love to try this dish on your own. Here’s the recipe to make just one of the numerous versions of Jambalaya – the Cajun Jambalaya:

Ingredients:

• ½ pound boneless and skinless chicken breast
• ½ pound uncooked large shrimp
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (this should be separated into three different spoons
• 2 medium bell peppers, red or green, sliced
• 4 ounces andouille sausage chopped
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 5 ounces rice
• Salt
• Black pepper

Equipment:

• 2 bowls
• 12 inch non-stick skillet
• Fork

Directions:

1. In one bowl, remove the skin from the chicken and season chicken with salt and black pepper.
2. In the other bowl, season the shrimp with salt and black pepper.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.
4. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes or until the chicken is tender stirring occasionally with fork.
5. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
6. Return skillet to the fire and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and heat over medium flame.
7. Put the shrimp in the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
9. Return the skillet to the fire and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat.
10. Add the red or green bell peppers, whichever you have available along with the sausage and cook for 4 minutes or until the sausages turn brown and the peppers are crispy. Stir occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
11. Pour the water in the mixture.
12. Wash rice and add to the pan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed.
13. Stir in the chicken and the shrimp and the Jambalaya is now ready to serve.

Another way to make Jambalaya is to cook the rice with stock in a separate pot and cook the vegetables with spices and a little oil in another pot. When cooking the Creole style Jambalaya, the seafood is the last thing to go in the pot. Tomatoes are used to give the dish a red colour that distinguishes the Creole style Jambalaya. Depending on your preferences, you can choose other meat kinds to use instead of chicken and you will end up with different flavours.