Jambalaya

 

     Jambalaya is comfort food with an attitude!  I love this crowd pleasing Cajun special with a light beer such as a Corona.  This is a fun meal to make too, and mine never comes out the same twice.  Guidelines are all you'll need to make up a great variation of this meal to call your own.  I'll get you started with what I use, how I use it and when I add it.  For example, the shrimp only take a few minutes, so they go in last.  The kielbasa, on the other hand, it cooks slowly from the beginning and adds flavor as we go.  You may want to use beer rather than wine, or seafood stock rather than chicken stock.  Which, by the way, I would have used if I had it in on hand.  Hot peppers?  Brown rice?  Sure, it will work.  You can own this dish.  I must apologize for this posting if it sounds a bit forced.  I wanted to add to my blog this week, but time has been short as my second grandson was just born and the whole gang is living with us until their house is built.  It has been crazy.

     Next week will be a fun post as I'm going to a great friends house, Dave Sampson, and we are going to make kielbasa sandwiches.  I'll try to stay sober enough to blog the event for you!  Also, up-and-coming, are Utica Greens.  I actually had a request for this from my cousin's wife in Colorado.  If you're not from Central New York, you're in for a treat.  On to the Jambalaya!

     Missing from picture is ketchup

     Ingredients-

32oz Seafood or Chicken Broth

1/2 Stick Salted Butter

2 Can Chopper Tomatoes with Chilies

Tomatoes Paste

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 Large Onion

2 Bell Peppers 

1 1/2 cups of White Rice

Kielbasa 

Fresh Shrimp- cleaned with veins removed

Red Cooking Wine

Worcester Sauce

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Fresh Parsley

Olive Oil

Scallions

     I start this dish by opening a beer, then I chop the celery, bell peppers and onion.  Melt about 1/2 stick of butter in a deep large fry pan, or an electric skillet works great.  Toss in the chopped vegetables and season them generously with kosher salt, black pepper, and hot pepper flakes to your taste.  Yes your taste, or whomever you're making this for.  Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and start simmering over medium heat.  Add some red wine and reduce by about half.

     While that's working, I mince the garlic and cut the kielbasa into 1/2 inch slabs.  Don't forget to mix the vegetables occasionally as they cook, and remember you have a beer open.  Cooking should be fun and relaxing; beer is a catalyst for this event.  Now add the kielbasa, rice and garlic.  As always, I must remind you not to burn the garlic.  Nothing will make a dish more bitter than burnt garlic.  I like to have the rice in there early so it actually fries for a bit to give it more flavor.  Keep mixing and as the flavors combine the resulting smell is better than any silly candle burning.

     Taste often as you go adding more salt and pepper if needed.  You may even want more heat, so have the hot pepper flakes ready.  If the dish looks too dry, hit it with more olive oil.  This is not exact and you don't want it to be.  You're having fun creating a wonderful dish.  Oops, I forgot to add a healthy drizzle of Worcester sauce.  Do it now.

     One last intense flavor I want is tomato paste.  Be generous and stir that in.

     Now that all the ingredients are enjoying each other's company we need moisture.  I start with two cans of chopped tomatoes and chilies.  The rice will thank you as it quickly sucks up the moisture and looks for more.  As you simmer and stir the dish, add enough stock to keep it very wet.  I cover it for a few minutes then open it up to mix the dish, making certain nothing is sticking to the bottom.  This gets harder as the rice softens and nears completion.  At this point, we are so busy even your beer might feel neglected.

     Now for the big finish.  When the rice is cooked just right, taste the dish.  Checking for salt, pepper, heat and anything else that might be off.  I found mine needed some sweetness added.  I used a bit of ketchup to balance the final flavor.  Now with the flavor right, make certain there is just a bit more moisture than you want for the finished look.  Toss in your cleaned shrimp.  Fold them in uncovered and stir them within the dish as they will only take a few minutes to turn pink.  The rice will take in that extra moisture in a flash, and you're ready to serve. 

     Top your jambalaya with chopped scallions.  I had a cheddar cheese biscuit with it as my side. Enjoy!