I’ll never be a native of all the places we’ve lived, but I always like to attempt to learn a local recipe (or two!) from our current home. From Puerto Rico, I learned sweet plantains; from Key West, fish tacos and Cuban black beans; and from Clearwater, a great blackened Mahi-Mahi sandwich.
Nothing says “Welcome to Louisiana!” like a big bowl of Jambalaya, so it was at the top of my list of Louisiana recipes to tackle! It doesn’t hurt that this is one of my husband’s favorites, so it was at the top of his list, too. I also want to tackle Gumbo and Red Beans and Rice, but since we’ll be here a few years, I’m going to pace myself.
Louisiana Jambalaya is fresh, full of flavor, and has that extra kick that just makes everything better. Traditionally, Jambalaya has any combination of chicken, sausage, and seafood mixed in with the rice and peppers. Naturally, for my first try, I thought it was important to include all three!
I think my first try turned out pretty well and I’ll definitely be using this fresh, easy, and delicious recipe again!
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 small orange bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (more/less to taste)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 lb. andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked white or brown rice
- 2 Tbsp. Creole seasoning (more/less to taste}
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. thyme, crushed
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and mostly cooked. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, chicken and sausage, and stir to combine. Continue sauteing for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and mostly cooked.
- Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, Creole spice, bay leaf, thyme, and cayenne, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.
- Once the rice is tender, add in the shrimp and stir to combine. Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked and no longer pink. Remove bay leaf and season the jambalaya with salt and pepper and hot sauce and additional Creole seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and serve.
Do you have any favorite local recipes that are must haves in your area???
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