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.

EVERYTHING JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Cook rice to package directions.
• Place a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and butter to the pan. Cube chicken and place in hot oil and butter. Brown chicken 3 minutes, add sausage, and cook 2 minutes more. Add onion, celery, pepper, bay, and cayenne.
• Saute vegetables 5 minutes, sprinkle flour over the pan and cook 1 or 2 minutes more. Stir in tomatoes and broth and season with cumin, chili, poultry seasoning, and Worcestershire. Bring liquids to a boil and add shrimp.
• Simmer shrimp 5 minutes until pink and firm. Remove the pot from the heat and place on a trivet. Ladle jambalaya into shallow bowls. Using an ice cream scoop, place a scoop of rice on to the center of the bowlfuls of jambalaya. Sprinkle dishes with salt, pepper, chopped scallions, and thyme leaves.