Creole jambalaya Archives

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.

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.