Jambalaya is one of our favorite dishes here at Casa Bouquet during Mardi Gras season, which begins January 6, the Twelfth Day of Christmas. Jambalaya is a spicy rice one pot meal that uses tomato for flavor.
You will need a large pot, a knife, spatula or spoon, slotted spoon, and measuring spoons and cup. (My pot is 8 quarts.)
Dice the bell peppers and banana peppers into half inch squares. Mince the garlic. Louisiana has its own version of mirepoix called Holy Trinity. It is a chopped mixture of onion, celery, and bell pepper. If you decide to go this route, I suggest taking it easy with the onion and perhaps only use 6 slices of onion so as to not make the taste too prevalent.
Heat the pan to medium high (I put a small pat of butter or a half teaspoon of water in the pan to tell when it’s hot.) Add the olive oil and immediately add the peppers (or mirepoix). Sauté until they lose their crispness.
Use the slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the can and add to the pot. Pour the remaining juice into a measuring cup.
Add to pot Cajun/Creole spice (I use Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning), thyme, bay leaves, minced garlic, and onion flakes.
Quicker version: Add enough water to tomato juice to make 1 cup. Add liquid to pot. Add 2 cups cooked brown rice to pot. Simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed (you may need to add more liquid). Defrost frozen shrimp according to package directions. Add shrimp to pot. Carefully scoop and fold rice around shrimp. Heat 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Traditional version: Add enough water to tomato juice to make 2 ½ cups. Add liquid to pot. Add 1 cup uncooked rice to pot. Simmer for 40 – 50 minutes, until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender. Check for doneness, add ¼ cup more water if necessary. Add cleaned uncooked shrimp. Carefully scoop and fold rice around shrimp. Cover and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked.
Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Serve with French baguette and put some hot sauce on the table!
Tips: 1) Jambalaya does not need much stirring, you don’t want the rice to turn to mush. If you need to stir, scoop from the bottom and fold over. 2) To defrost frozen cooked shrimp: Place shrimp in a bowl of cold tap water for 20 minutes. Pour into a colander and rinse. 3) I serve this at my Mardi Gras party with red beans and rice with sausage, so I do not put meat in the jambalaya. It does taste delicious with 2 cups of diced cooked ham added.
Jambalaya with rice and shrimp is a hearty, one pot Louisiana dish, perfect for Mardi Gras season. Tomatoes, peppers, and Cajun seasonings add flavor.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cooked shrimp, tails off (71-90 count will work fine) (or use cleaned fresh shrimp)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 3 banana peppers, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomato
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic (3 cloves)
- 2 tsp Cajun/Creole spice blend (Tony Cachere)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried onion flakes
- 2 cups cooked brown jasmine rice (or 1 cup dry)
- water
- optional 2 cups diced cooked ham
Instructions
- Dice the bell peppers and banana peppers into half inch squares. Mince the garlic. Louisiana has its own version of mirepoix called Holy Trinity. It is a chopped mixture of onion, celery, and bell pepper. If you decide to go this route, I suggest taking it easy with the onion and perhaps only use 6 slices of onion so as to not make the taste too prevalent.
- Heat the pan to medium high (I put a small pat of butter or a half teaspoon of water in the pan to tell when it’s hot.) Add the olive oil and immediately add the peppers (or mirepoix). Sauté until they lose their crispness.
- Use the slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the can and add to the pot. Pour the remaining juice into a measuring cup.
- Add to pot Cajun/Creole spice (I use Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning), thyme, bay leaves, minced garlic, and onion flakes.
- Quicker version: Add enough water to tomato juice to make 1 cup. Add liquid to pot. Add 2 cups cooked brown rice to pot. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed (you may need to add more liquid). Defrost frozen shrimp according to package directions. Add shrimp to pot. Carefully scoop and fold rice around shrimp. Heat 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Traditional version: Add enough water to tomato juice to make 2 ½ cups. Add liquid to pot. Add 1 cup uncooked rice to pot. Cover and simmer for 40 - 50 minutes, until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender.Check for doneness, add ¼ cup more water if necessary. Add cleaned uncooked shrimp. Carefully scoop and fold rice around shrimp. Cover and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked.
- Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Serve with French baguette and put some hot sauce on the table!
Notes
Tips: 1) Jambalaya does not need much stirring, you don't want the rice to turn to mush. If you need to stir, scoop from the bottom and fold over. 2) To defrost frozen cooked shrimp: Place shrimp in a bowl of cold tap water for 20 minutes. Pour into a colander and rinse. 3) I serve this at my Mardi Gras party with red beans and rice with sausage, so I do not put meat in the jambalaya. It tastes delicious with 2 cups of diced cooked ham added. 4) The amount of liquid will depend on the volume of your pot. With cooked rice, the liquid should come up about halfway through the pot contents. With uncooked rice, the liquid should be an inch or more above the rice.
Nutrition facts jambalaya rice and shrimp
Recipe is 1636 calories making 4 servings at 409 calories each.
Resource links
- http://www.cookinglight.com/healthy-living/travel/jambalaya-history
- Origin of jambalaya from Cooking Light
- http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/mgdates.html
- Mardi Gras dates from Mardi Gras New Orleans
Let’s talk story
Mardi Gras season begins January 6 and lasts until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. These dates change every year, based on the date of Easter. So Mardi Gras is a moveable feast. Some years the season is short and some it is long, but we always want to savor some Cajun and Creole cooking during that time.
Mardi Gras party menu
Hurricanes, Abita and Dixie beer, jambalaya, red beans and rice, muffulettas, remoulade with baguettes, ham, and cheese, King cake. Download a free printable for your Mardi Gras table!
I’ll be looking for comments below, or contact me at lisa [at] casabouquet[dot]com.
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Oh my goodness this little spicy yumminess just got pinned xo
Oh, thanks so much, Katherine!
I’m not much for shrimp but this sounds great with chicken. Love cajun flavors.
Hey Melissa, I think chicken is a great idea. The legend is that the Spanish in New Orleans created this dish to be an American paella. I would just be sure to cook the chicken at the beginning.