Today we’re cookin’ a Louisiana Jambalaya recipe or rice the dirty way. The way they do it in the south, baby. No shame and no beads shall be rewarded. Like many things, this recipe actually goes faster than you’d think and is pretty fun and comforting.
Louisiana Jambalaya
Just leave out all meat and fish for vegan & vegetarian options.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (more as needed)
- 1 chicken breast, butterfly cut (leave out for pescatarian option)
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced (leave out for pescatarian option)
- 1/2 pound smoked ham, pre-cooked and cubed (leave out for pescatarian option)
- 1 pound medium shrimp, deveined & tails removed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 celery stems, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 – 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded & minced
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons Chicken Better Than Bouillon (leave out for pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan option)
- 4 stems fresh oregano, stemmed & chopped
- 5 stems fresh thyme, stemmed
- 6 cups water
- 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed
- 3 bay leaves
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 bunch chopped fresh parsley, divided
- Freshly squeezed juice from one lemon
Place olive oil in a very large saucepan over medium-high heat. Placed butterflied chicken breast in pan, salt & pepper, and cook until thickest parts reach at least 165°F (anything under 165°F isn’t safe, over 165°F gets too dry). When chicken is fully cooked, set aside on a plate.
Heat sausage and then ham in the same pan and again add to a large dish with chicken. Salt & pepper shrimp. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until pink and opaque (not see-thru). Set aside with the other meat.
When the chicken breast is cool enough, dice it into small pieces and place it into the large pan holding the other meat and seafood.
Add the butter to the pan. Add onion, celery, and peppers. Cook until onions are translucent. Stir diced tomato, tomato paste, garlic, jalapenos, Worcestershire sauce, Better Than Bouillon, oregano, and thyme into the pan.
Add the water to the pan. Bring it to a boil. As soon as the water boils, stir rice into the pan and cover the lid snugly. Cook on low for 20 minutes. After the rice has fully cooked, stir in meat that had been set aside for such a time as this.
No beads or feeling dirty needed. Louisiana Jambalaya – almost sinless.