J is for Jambalaya

J is for Jambalaya

Hank Williams said it best:

Good-bye, Joe, me gotta go, me oh, my oh
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne sweetest one me, oh, my oh
Son of a gun we're gonna have big fun on the bayou

Jambalaya, crawfish pie, filet gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my chère amie o
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay o
Son of a gun we're gonna have big fun on the bayou

Every now and then you just get a little hankering for some good Cajun soul food and that is just where I was last week. I needed come jambalaya. So, I made some jambalaya! And it was goooood!

Jambalaya is really easy, y'all. Jus' git yer Holy Trinity a-sweatin' away in yer pan, add the proteins of yer choosin', toss in sum to-mah-toes, chicken broth, hot sauce and rice and let it simmer away! Really, that is about all there is to it! 

Here's mah recipe! Bon appetit'!

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 lb. andouille or smoked sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces

Toss chicken and shrimp in separate bowls each with 1 T. Creole or Cajun seasoning 

Chop:

1 medium onion

1 bell pepper

2 stalks celery

4 cloves garlic

Sauté onion, pepper and celery in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until vegetables are soft and onions are translucent. 

Add garlic, chicken and sausage and 1 T. Worcestershire sauce and sauté for about 15 minutes until chicken is mostly done.

Add:

 3 c. chicken broth

1 48 oz. can pureed tomatoes

1 24 oz. can diced tomatoes

Busha Browne's Pukka Pepper Sauce to taste (or hot sauce of your choosing)

1 c. rice

Stir, cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink and becomes opaque. 

Serve hot with crusty French bread. Mai Oui! 

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