Brown Cajun Jambalaya Food

CLASSIC CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Prepare all your ingredients and set aside in their own small bowls: Cube all your meats; chop the veggies-you want about 5 to 6 cups all together; chop your garlic.
• Mix the herb and spice blend (except the salt which you should add separately) in a bowl; set aside.
• In a cast-iron Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lid, melt the bacon grease over medium heat. Brown the cubed pork for 15 to 20 minutes, carefully scraping the brown sticky bits off the bottom as it cooks.
• After about 20 minutes add the sausage and brown with the pork. Continue to scrap the bottom of the pan. Brown the pork and sausage together for about 10 minutes, rendering as much of the fat as possible.
• Add the chicken to the pork and sausage in the dutch oven. Turn up the heat just a bit as the chicken will start to lose its water. Keep stirring. After 10 to 15 minutes you should have a nice batch of browned meat and some grease in the pot.
• Add the veggies to the dutch oven with the meat; stir until they are mixed well with the meats. You want them to cook down and begin to caramelize. Brown for about 15 minutes, stirring as needed not to let them scorch on the bottom of the pan. After about 15 minutes add the garlic and stir until aromatic-about 2 minutes or so. Add about half of the Herb and Spice Blend and some kosher salt, stir it up good.
• Now you will add the stock. Start with just about a cup or so at first and use it to deglaze the bottom. Add the parsley and about half the remaining Herb and Spice Blend-save a little to add at the end if you think you need it. Now add the remaining stock and bring to a steady simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
• After 15 minutes add the rice, stir together and return to a full boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot tightly and cook on low for a total of 30 minutes. Do not uncover the pot except one time-at the 15 minute mark to stir the jambalaya completely-scrapping off the bottom so it does not scorch; replace the lid to cover tightly.
• After 30 minutes (15 minutes after you stirred) taste it-it's done if the rice is cooked. If all of the stock has not been absorbed, cook it a little more uncovered; if all the stock has been absorbed but it's not quite cooked, add a little of the stock you reserved and cook it covered another 5 minutes or so. Keep checking like this and it will be done.

CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• The most important thing is to use the right equipment and I would suggest the following: a 2-gallon cast iron Dutch oven, a high BTU gas stove, and a large stainless steel chef's spoon.
• Use high heat to preheat the Dutch oven and add the sausage. Using a chef's spoon or large spoon, constantly move the sausage from the bottom of the pot. Be careful not to burn the meat. (Normally I use Manda's sausage because it has little fat, however at this point you may want to drain off all of the excess grease to reduce the fat content from the dish.)
• Add the thigh meat and brown the chicken on all sides. Again use the spoon to scrape the meat from sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot. Browning the sausage and chicken meats should take 20 minutes. Be careful not to over cook the thigh meat to the point that it shreds.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic; saute for about 15 minutes or until the onions are very limp and "clear". Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the "graton". This is where the jambalaya gets its distinct brown color and taste.
• Add the tasso, thyme, basil and black and white pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. This will give the seasonings time to release their oils and flavors.
• At this point the jambalaya concentrate can be transferred to smaller containers, cooled to room temperature, covered and refrigerated for future use. (This is what we do commercially; it allows the seasonings to marry.)
• When you are ready to cook the jambalaya, add the stock to the concentrate and bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium and gently break up the rice. Using the stainless steel paddle, continue to insure that the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot; this is very important!
• After about 5 minutes, fold in the parsley. Continue to scrape the pot to insure that no rice sticks to the bottom. When the jambalaya returns to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer, covered, for at least 25 minutes. Do not remove the cover while the rice is steaming.
• If Manda's brand sausage is not available, any lean smoked sausage can be substituted. You may have to remove any excess grease from the pot after frying down an unknown sausage.
• For a richer jambalaya substitute turkey stock for the chicken stock called for above.
• If no stocks are available, then chicken soup base can be used. Be careful with your seasoning, as bases are usually full of salt.
• Alternate Method:
• The jambalaya is best when served directly out of the cast iron pot. While the rice is steaming, the sausage and meat will have a tendency to float to the surface of the jambalaya. Therefore, after the rice has steamed for 25 minutes, use the paddle to gently fold in the meat and seasonings into the cooked rice. This should only be done once or twice, the rice will loose a lot of heat and the rice will break apart.
• Also note, I do not add salt to my jambalaya. This is because I like to use herbs, tasso and seasonings to satisfy the need for salt. I would suggest having the table set with salt shakers and a selection of hot pepper sauces.
• Plate Presentation:

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Combine the sausage, peppers, celery, scallions, tomatoes, rice, chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme and cayenne in a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on low, 4 hours, adding the shrimp during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Discard the bay leaves. Serve topped with parsley.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large enameled cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally to brown chicken all over, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate, leaving oil in skillet.
• Add sausage, cook turning once to brown, about 1 minute per side. Remove to plate with chicken, leaving oil in skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon oil, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan and stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, about 8 minutes.
• Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add bay leaf, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and thyme and continue to cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Return meat and any accumulated juices to skillet. Stir in broth, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender, 20 minutes. Serve.

EASY CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent. Add rice, then stir in chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. Set aside.
• In a large pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

LEGENDARY JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy, dry stockpot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil, and then brown the sausage. Remove the sausage from the pan, and reserve the drippings. Add another tablespoon peanut oil, and then brown the chicken, adding more peanut oil, if necessary.
• Return the sausage to the pan with the chicken, and add the onion, celery, garlic, and pepper. Saute until the meats and the vegetables are cooked through. Add the tomatoes and the hot sauce, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the file powder and the Cajun spice, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for at least 1 hour. Serve over cooked, steamed rice.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• For the Creole seasoning: Combine the salt, black pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, white pepper and cumin in a medium bowl.
• For the jambalaya: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart heavy-bottomed pot or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Rub the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons of the Creole seasoning in a medium bowl until evenly coated. Add the chicken to the pot and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Add the sausage to the pot and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the large bowl with the chicken. The bottom of the pot should be covered with browned bits.
• Add the celery, onions and peppers and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, cayenne, thyme and 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning. Add the rice and stir once or twice to coat. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, cooked chicken and sausage and remaining Creole seasoning. Stir in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced, and you see little holes on the top, about 30 minutes.
• Use a fork to stir in half of the green onions and fluff the rice. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the remaining green onions and serve immediately.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA (AUTHENTIC)

Steps:

• Bring large pot of water to boil and add corn.
• Cook for 15 minutes
• Reserve water.
• Using same water boil chicken 20 minutes
• Reserve water for stock.
• With a sharp knife scrape corn off the cob.
• Remove chicken from the bone and dice.
• Put tomato sauce, chicken, sausage, all veggies, 4 cups reserved chicken stock, evaporated milk and spices in a pot.
• Bring to a boil and simmer 40 minutes.
• Place rice in 8 cups reserved chicken and corn stock (add water if needed) and bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes.
• Add whole shrimp and simmer 10 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

BROWN RICE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat, Add chicken, browning well on all sides; transfer chicken to plate, add sausage; cook until browned.
• Add onions, celery, green pepper and garlic; cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add rice; stir to coat and continue cooking one minute.
• Add stock, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to boil stirring well.
• Nestle chicken pieces into rice.
• Cover, cook over low heat until chicken is cooked through, liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir in cilantro or parsley and leave covered 10 minutes.
• Garnish with sliced jalapeño.
• (I added the jalapeño into the jambalaya with the green pepper, rather than use it as a garnish).

BROWN RICE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Put ham or bacon in a 4-quart soup kettle and cook over low heat until fat is rendered.
• Increase heat to medium and stir until cooked, about 5 minutes.
• Remove chicken skin, cut meat off the bones and then cut boneless chicken into bite-size pieces.
• Add to kettle or skillet with bacon or ham and toss until color turns pale, about 4 minutes.
• Remove bacon or ham and chicken with a slotted spoon and put on paper toweling; set aside.
• Add sausage to kettle and brown all over, about 6 to 8 minutes; remove.
• Leave 2 tablespoons fat in kettle; pour off and discard remaining fat.
• Insert metal blade in food processor.
• Mince garlic by adding to machine with motor on.
• Add onion and chop very coarsely with half second pulses.
• Add green pepper and process with half-second pulses until mixture is chopped to medium consistency.
• Add mixture to kettle and stir over low heat until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Process tomatoes until pureed; set aside.
• Add rice to ingredients in kettle and stir over low heat for 2 minutes.
• Then stir in oregano Thyme, file, black pepper, cayenne pepper and cumin.
• Add tomatoes and broth.
• Stir well and let mixture to boiling.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and cook rice mixture 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cut sausage into 1/4-inch thick coin like slices.
• Mix sausage, ham and chicken pieces into rice.
• Cover and cook until rice is tender (rice may not absorb all the liquid) about 20 minutes longer.
• Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt as needed.
• Stir shrimp into hot rice mixture, cover pot and let stand for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Serve rice with shrimp, meats and liquid.
• Serves 8.