From: sandyv@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Sandy Vavrinek Seehusen)
Date: 29 Sep 1993 22:41:19 GMT
This is how I make my Jambalaya. It's a favorite in our house.
1 lb chicken meat (I get a package of boned, skinned breasts)
3/4 lb smoked sausage
2 cans chicken broth
1 med onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 med green pepper, chopped
cayenne pepper, to taste
(1-2 Tablespoons, depending how hot you like it. I use 3!)
16 oz bag white rice
1 small can tomato paste
4-5 green onions, chopped
1 med tomato, chopped
optional: shrimp, seafood
Cut the chicken and sausage into small or smaller than bite-sized pieces.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper ( I do this rather generously:
1 t pepper, 2 t salt, possibly more) Using a dutch oven on the stovetop,
Cook chicken and sausage in small amount of oil or lard (some authentics
swear it must be in lard) until the chicken is done; about 15 minutes.
Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
Saute the onion, celery and green pepper until tender crisp. Add the
chicken broth, rice and cayenne pepper. Heat until the broth starts
to bubble, then stir the meat back in. Turn the heat down low and simmer
with the lid on for 30 minutes. DO NOT STIR during this time or some
of the rice will rise to the top out of the liquid and you'll get crunchy
jambalaya.
After the 30 minutes are up, stir in the tomato paste. Then stir in the
green onions and tomatos. Serves a family or more.
Some notes:
If you are adding shrimp, I usually cook is separately and add it just
before or with the paste. If you cook chrimp too long it gets rubbery.
It also doesn't keep well, if you don't plan to eat it all at one sitting.
If you are using other seafood in place of or in addition to the chicken,
you can add that at the normal meat addition, but I don't make this
version so I don't have any words of wisdom.
Also, I have been know to add the cayenne without measuring until the broth
turns a light orange color. This seems to be the right amount of spicyness,
but remember you can always add more. I told a friend to do this and she
added the full 3 T and said it was unedible it was so hot. You can always
add more broth or tomato paste to tone it down. Start with 1 t. - 1 T.
and add as you go until you find the right heat level. Personally, i like
the feeling of a small volcano in my stomach when I'm done! :-)
Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science (SCS) graciously hosts the Recipe Archive. We encourage you to learn about SCS educational programs and research.