*Jambalaya, and a-crawfish pie and a fillet gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my mes chers amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou*
Hank Williams Sr. *On the Bayou* lyrics excerpt~~1923-1953
It should be a theme song for Mardi Gras if it isn't. But on with the Jambalaya recipe. Jambalaya is the second most sought after food, second only to Gumbo in Louisiana. Though I've never visited New Orleans or had opportunity to participate in Mardi Gras, I have seen the huge Cast Iron Caldrons that they make the Jambalaya in. From my understanding it takes several men and equipment to move those into place for cooking Gumbo and Jambalaya for the massive Mardi Gras revelers. From what I've seen the Cajun culinary masters prepare, it's chock full of meat and shellfish, with little in the way of vegetables or even the broth that is cooked down. I'm sure there are as many different recipes for Jambalaya as their are Cajun cooks. So though my recipe may not be authentic, it is chock full of protein and makes a satisfying meal albeit not nearly as hot or spicy as authentic Cajun food, so even the kidlets, and those of us that are not fans of hot, spicy foods will enjoy it. And I think it's only appropriate to make Jambalaya in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven to bring all the flavors together for your own Dear Friends~ *mes chers amis*.
Serves 4
Jambalaya
Ingredients
1/2 pound Cooked Shredded Chicken (rotisserie chicken shredded)
6 C. Chicken Broth* (or enough to cover all ingredients)
1/2 pound Shrimp (shell and remove tails if necessary)
1/2 pound Smoked Sausage (cut in chunks)
1/2 C. Butter
1 onion (sliced)
2 garlic Cloves
2 small red and yellow sweet pepper (stems removed, cut in quarters)
1 Can Whole tomatoes (with juice)
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning* (Adjust to taste)
Cooked Rice*
Directions
Prepare the meat and shrimp. Prepare the vegetables. Saute the vegetables in a dollop of butter. Add all ingredients, except the shrimp to the dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the seasoning, stir and continue cooking for another 2 hours or until the broth is cooked down. Add the shrimp in the last half hour of cooking. In the meantime cook the rice in a separate kettle.
Serving Suggestion: Scoop the cooked rice onto a plate. Ladle Jambalaya over the rice (a slotted spoon if you do not want a lot of the broth) and serve with a fresh green salad for a complete meal. (Reserve the broth for Cajun soup*.)
To make your own meat broth, refer to the link:
justfowlingaround.weebly.com/recipes-for-self-reliance/homemade-meat-broth
To make your own mild Cajun seasoning refer to the link:
justfowlingaround.weebly.com/seasoning-and-sauces/homemade-cajun-seasoning
To make Broth cooked rice, refer to the link: justfowlingaround.weebly.com/from-the-pantry/savory-broth-cooked-rice
To make Cajun Soup, refer to the link:
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