7.15.2012

Jennie's Jambalaya




I’ve always loved jambalaya, but my mom had only ever made the Zatarain’s brand stuff out of the box, which is fine, don’t get me wrong. But when I started craving jambalaya a couple weeks ago, I scoured the Interweb for a homemade recipe. After finding quite a few that contained just sausage and shrimp or just chicken and shrimp, I decided to take it upon myself to come up with my own recipe - shocking, I know. This was the result and, while there was some fuss involved, I will likely never, ever eat the Zatarain’s brand jambalaya again.

1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed and diced
1-1/2 Tbsp. Creole seasoning, divided
1 Tbsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt and pepper seasoning
1/2 cup fire-roasted diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 ribs of celery, sliced 1/8” thick
1 cup brown rice
1/2 lb. fresh cooked shrimp 
6.5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced

In a small bowl, combine the onion and garlic. In another small bowl, work 3/4 Tbsp. Creole seasoning into diced chicken. In a large saucepan, sauté the chicken and half the onion and garlic in 2 Tbsp. oil. Season with paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. In a small saucepan, sauté the green pepper and celery in 2 Tbsp. oil with remaining onion and garlic mixture until veggies are slightly tender. Transfer to the saucepan containing the chicken. Add the rice, stir and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low,cover the saucepan and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove the lid to check the rice. If rice is still too firm, cook longer. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shrimp and sausage and work the remaining 3/4 Tbsp. Creole seasoning into the meat. When the rice is tender, add the shrimp and sausage and cook covered for 5-10 minutes. taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve.

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