An Illustrated Guide to Jambalaya

[gotwood]

Well here it is...in the Pot my mother just gave me today....It older than me...my grandmothers ...at least 44 years old.
Would cost about $300 now adays so I'm happy not to spend it and have something of my grandmothers.

I think I would have liked it a little drier, but it tastes good and I'll know next time.

[nmayeux]

Originally Posted by thull

Noah- great tutorial

FWIW, I grew up with a little different version in AL. Not sure where my Mom got hers from. She actually did w/o stock and just sautéed some bacon to start with. Then added onion and bell pepper (no celery), garlic, the rice/spices, and then tomatoes and water. I suspect that's a bit more authentic in the tradition of "making do."

I've made this approach my own over the years. Sometimes, I'll do the bacon to start with. But I've never made a roux for jambalaya. And I definitely use stock (chicken base is the house thing- Knorr's roasted from RD). For spices, mine typically includes the bay leaves plus roughly equal parts dried oregano and thyme (1-2 T for recipe w/ 2C rice). For a while, I put chilis/chile powder/red pepper in for flavor/spice. Don't have a set method there, but I think I've put a bit of ground ancho/chipotle in lately.

I also saw Prudhomme many years ago- his concession to his cardiologist at that point was to cut back the fat and saute the ingredients long enough to add color/flavor. Probably the same idea as doing a roux. With some of the fattier smoked sausages, I've browned them in the pan or oven ahead of time to add that caramelization.

Meat-wise, smoked sausage is a given. If you haven't been to Patak in Austell, it's smoked meat heaven. I like their andouille a lot. Usually, any chicken goes in raw and stews with the rice. Shrimp go in at the end to try to avoid getting them rubbery.

I've also gone weenie- I get it all going in the dutch oven on the stove, then throw on the lid and finish in the oven for 25 min or so. For whatever reason, I don't mind crust in paella, but I avoid it in my jambalaya.

Thull, you are killing me! I have been buying almost all of my meats from Pataks for the better part of 10 years as I used to work across the street at the tank farm. We need to get together a do some cooking soon. Would love to have another brother around since Tumpedover threw me to the wolves...

[thull]

I was buying Patak's andouille at Dekalb Farmer's Mkt for years until they quit carrying it. Took me a few years to realize it was actually made in town and to get out there on a weekend. Have walked out of there with an amazing amount of meaty goodness (like a not-small-but-not-chest-size cooler) for $50. Smoked liverwurst was a surprising early discovery.

[nmayeux]

Next time you are there, ask for one of their smoked pork chops. When they are fresh, its like eating candy! What part of town are you in?

[thull]

Sorry for the late reply- I only pop over here now and then. I've had the chops- I've pan-sautéed them and done choucroute also. They're excellent. A co-worker whose wife is German also had great things to say about Patak after he went with me and brought back a selection of stuff.

I'm intown, FWIW.

[Kosmo's Q]

Can't wait to try this either.

[augie]

I made this last night, but I must have copied the recipe from the roadmap as there were some variations from the original post in this thread.

Tonight is my turn to provide the "daily special" at the high school soccer concession stand. Last week I made pulled pork sandwiches, which were a hit, but I wanted to do something to compete against the "chili" someone made a couple of weeks ago, and I've been dying for an excuse to make this, so there you go.

I used spatchcocked cherry smoked chicken (I made an extra one this past weekend just so I'd have it available) and keilbasa for the meats. Made a double batch, and had quite a bit left over after I filled the crock on the 6 qt. crockpot I'll use tonight to keep it warm, so I brought some of it to work and have been letting my coworkers sample it - and it's a hit.

I still have a couple of containers left in the fridge, so I'll probably freeze one of them and eat off of the other one the next couple of days.

Thanks for such a straightforward and delicious recipe!

[Phesant]

Thanx Noah, this was very helpful

[gtr]

This thread needs a bump!

I made this today. Threw in some pulled pork and a batch of chaurice I had in the freezer. I modded with a little cayenne, and will either use less than the 3 cups of rice or add more broth next time to get it a little bit more soupy - but this is great stuff!

***disclaimer***

I know next to nothing about making jambalaya, this is only the second I've done it, so I have no idea if it's "right" or not. I've definitely eaten it, but not often even though I love the stuff. At any rate, this tastes fantastic.

[WineMaster]

Looks damn good. I'd say your a pro!

[gtr]

Oh - and worth mentioning to the new folks - there are great threads like this one all over this site. KCquer's Roadmap will point you towards an amazing amount of valuable info. Alrighty - gotta go - time to eat!

[TIMMAY]

Yea... This one is on my list for a few weeks from now...

[cowgirl]

Originally Posted by gtr

This thread needs a bump!

I made this today. Threw in some pulled pork and a batch of chaurice I had in the freezer. I modded with a little cayenne, and will either use less than the 3 cups of rice or add more broth next time to get it a little bit more soupy - but this is great stuff!

***disclaimer***

I know next to nothing about making jambalaya, this is only the second I've done it, so I have no idea if it's "right" or not. I've definitely eaten it, but not often even though I love the stuff. At any rate, this tastes fantastic.

Yep..I'd say you're a pro Greg. Great lookin' jambalaya.

[Kloogee]

I love me some jambalaya. Unfortunately the rest of the fam doesn't. Oh well, gonna have to make me some any way. They can fend for themselves!

[nmayeux]

Ha! I had forgotten about this thread, but was browsing through KCquer's roadmap and saw a bunch of great threads. There should be some reminder to go check out the map every six months or so!