JAMBALAYA

There are a wide variety of ways to make jambalaya, with chicken and sausage, or shrimp, or ham, or even duck or alligator. Some involve tomatoes and tomato sauce, some use chicken or beef stock instead. This first one uses both tomatoes and chicken stock, and is a "red" jambalaya, as opposed to one made with only stock, a "brown" jambalaya (recipe for that to follow).

And when you make jambalaya, don't use mere water to cook the rice. The dish will always have a greater depth of flavor if you use a good stock instead.

By the way, it's pronounced <jahm-buh-LIE-uh> or <jum-buh-LIE-uh>.

• 1 lb. boneless chicken, cubed; AND/OR
  • 1 lb. shrimp, boiled in Zatarain's and peeled; OR
  • 1 lb. leftover holiday turkey, cubed; OR
  • 1 lb. of any kind of poultry or fish, cubed; OR
  • Any combination of the above
• 1 lb. (hot) smoked sausage, andouille or chaurice, sliced; OR
  • 1 lb. diced smoked ham
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 3 - 6 cloves garlic, minced (amount to taste; I like lots)
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 small cans tomato paste
• 4 large Creole tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; OR
  • 1 28-oz. can tomatoes
• 2-1/2 cups good chicken stock
• Creole seasoning blend to taste (or 2 - 3 tablespoons); OR
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teapsoon thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• 4 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked (Some people like converted rice, others prefer good old Mahatma.)

Brown the chicken, sprinkling with Tony Chachere's seasoning if you've got it; a bit of salt, black pepper and red pepper otherwise. Don't brown if using leftover cooked bird, but you still might want to season the meat. Tear or cut the meat into bite-size pieces.

Brown the sliced smoked sausage or andouille and pour off fat. In the pot, sauté the onions, garlic, peppers and celery in oil until onions begin to turn transparent.

In a separate sauté pan, begin to cook the tomato paste and pincé, meaning to let it brown a little (a non-stick pan works best for this). What we're going for here is to brown the tomato paste; the sugar in the tomato paste begins to caramelize, deepening the flavor and color. Keep it moving so that it browns but doesn't burn. Some friends of mine hate this step, so you can skip it if you want, but then it won't be Chuck's jambalaya. :^)

Deglaze the pan with the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix up the browned bits, and stir until smooth. Add to the sautéed vegetables and combine thoroughly. It should be pretty thick. If it isn't thick enough, you can add a little more tomato paste. If you think it's too much of a pain to brown the tomato paste, then omit this step. It's certainly optional; it's just that it tastes better when I opt to do it this way. :^)

Add the Creole seasoning, tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the meat and/or seafood and cook another 10 minutes; if you're using seafood, be careful not to overcook it.

Prepare the 4 cups of rice according to recipe. When done, combine with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. You may have to add more rice, or more tomato sauce to get the right consistency, not too dry and not too runny. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Place in a large baking dish (or dishes) and bake in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until the jambalaya has thoroughly "set".

Serve with salad and French bread.

Increase the chicken stock to 4 cups, and substitute one pound of rigatoni (cooked according to package directions) for the rice. Mix the sauce well with the pasta, and bake. This is a fabulous variation, and I've decided that I may like it better this way than with rice. Use whatever pasta shape you like, but I like rigatoni best.

Here's an award-winning recipe (along with some tips and some history of the dish) as prepared by: Matthew "Dee" Gautreau, Dee Gautreau's Cajun Catering, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737, Telephone - (504) 644-5977 or 644-4405. Of course, I've had to improve on it a bit ...

I'm sure it's good, but I'll say with great arrogance that I can't imagine it could be better than mine if it uses water instead of stock. :^)

• One 3 to 4 pound hen cut into serving pieces
• 3 cups long grain rice - uncooked
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 3 medium white onions - chopped fine
• 6 cups water (but Chuck says use chicken stock if you want it to be really good)
• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• 2-1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 cup green onions - chopped
• 1/2 cup green peppers
• 1/2 cup celery - chopped fine
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Red pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce

Fry chicken in cooking oil until golden brown. Remove chicken and oil leaving just enough oil to cover bottom of pot. Add onions, and fry until golden brown. Put chicken back into pot with onions, and add 6 cups of water (note water level). Add remaining seasoning and simmer covered until chicken is tender. If necessary, add enough water to bring back to previous level. Bring back to a rolling boil, and add rice. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes - turn rice. Cover with tight fitting lid, let steam for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Turn rice once more, and turn fire off. Let stand for 10 minutes and then serve.

Jambalaya is more tasty if highly seasoned, so don't forget the red pepper. When adding salt, water should taste a little too salty, as rice absorbs considerable salt.

Yield: 6 to 8 generous servings.

Most jambalaya cooks prefer to cook in cast iron pots - whether cast iron or aluminum pot is used, it should be heavy enough to prevent easy burning, and have a tight lid.

To brown onions:

Onions and shortening are put into the pot, covered, and cooked over low heat until golden brown, stirring frequently. A little water added to the onions will help prevent sticking.

Jambalaya should never be stirred - turn rather than stir after the rice has been added. This prevents the grains of rice from breaking up. Most cooks turn jambalaya only two or three times after the rice is added, being sure to scoop from the bottom of the pot to mix rice evenly with other ingredients.

Similar in many ways to Spanish paella, the term "jambalaya" is derived from the Spanish jamón for ham. Jambalaya found its way into Creole cookery in the late 1700's where it soon took on the flavor of added local ingredients.

It can be made (separately or all together) with ham, chicken, sausage, fresh pork, shrimp and oysters, to which is added shortening, rice, onion, garlic, pepper and other seasonings.

Starting with church fairs, which were the largest public gatherings at the turn of the century, Jambalaya emerged from small quantity indoor cooking to become the ideal dish for outdoor cooking over hardwood fire. Big black cast iron pots made preparation so easy and economical for church use that Jambalaya was rapidly adapted for political rallies, weddings, family reunions and other affairs. No fair or political rally around Gonzales is complete without Jambalaya cooking.

The Jambalaya Festival and World Champion Jambalaya Cooking contest is held annually at Gonzales and attracts area cooks who have spent years perfecting the are of cooking and seasoning this Creole delicacy. Gonzales really is the Jambalaya Capital of The World.

About the creator of the championship recipe:

"Dee" Gautreau is a World Champion Jambalaya cook; he won the title in 1978. He has his own catering business, "Dee Gautreau's Cajun Catering." In the past nine years he has cooked Jambalaya all over the United States and in France, too.