JAmbalaya recipes?

[wch]

What's your fave, and how do you cook it?

[Tom-ADC]

Nothing fancy here I buy a box of Zatarains Jambalaya fix and have at it. I like their Gumbo also.
http://www.zatarains.com/Recipes/Main-Dish/Crescent-City-Jambalaya.aspx

[Dale in Louisiana]

Growing up, 'jambalaya' was the natural follow-on to Mom's garlic-stuffed potroast. The recipe was simple: Cut the remainder of the roast off the bone, add a little water to the gravy. Make a pot of rice. Dump the rice into the simmering potroast and gravy. Stir. Presto! Jambalaya.

The rice stretched the living daylights out of a little potroast and gravy.

Wasn't until much later in life that I found out that people actually cooked a jambalaya from scratch.

dale in Louisiana

[Artful]

I don't have a family secret so I steal others for southern cooking

Paula Deen Jambalaya
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/jambalaya-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
Jambalaya Mix, recipe follows


Jambalaya Mix:
1 cup long-grain rice
3 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
In a small bowl, combine rice, onion, parsley, beef bouillon, thyme, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, and bay leaf.
Pour into cellophane bag. Store in an air-tight container.

2 1/2 cups water
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 pound fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 to 3/4 pound medium, fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions
In a Dutch oven, combine mix, water, tomatoes, tomato sauce and smoked sausage.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until shrimp are pink.


Alton Brown Shrimp Gumbo
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shrimp-gumbo-recipe/index.html

4 ounces vegetable oil
4 ounces all-purpose flour
1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, whole, head-on medium-sized (31-50 count)
2 quarts water
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup peeled seeded and chopped tomato
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 lb andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and browned
1 tablespoon file powder
Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine.
Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.

3) While the roux is baking, de-head, peel and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator.
Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.
Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1-quart.
Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.

4) Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat.
Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers and garlic and cook,
moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent.
Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine.
Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for 35 minutes.
Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage and stir to combine.
Add the file powder while stirring constantly.
Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving.
Serve over rice.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Artful's recipes are more Creole than Cajun.

There's a big difference. Creoles center around New Orleans, tend to have a lot more ingredients and take more preparation. After all, the FRENCH settled New Orleans and they had servants to do the food prep.

Cajun fare is much simpler, generally of the 'do the prep up front, put in the pot, turn the fire down, let it simmer while I go do some other work' variety.

And you NEVER add file' powder to the pot. You put it on the table and let each add to his own taste.

dale in Louisiana
(LeBleu, LeDoux, Fontenot, LeBoeuf, etc., etc. Cajun from waaaay back)

[Artful]

I thought the Gumbo File was used as thickening agent in the pot?

[SciFiJim]

I thought the Gumbo File was used as thickening agent in the pot?

The way it is used at the table, it that each person gets to thicken as desired. Normally, a person turns their spoon around and uses the handle to scoop out about a quarter teaspoon worth to sprinkle onto their bowl and then stir.

[Dale in Louisiana]

I thought the Gumbo File was used as thickening agent in the pot?

If you add enough to the pot to actually thicken, it turns to soup-tasting snot.

Just a sprinkle or two on the top of your bowl, and you're good.

Cajun gumbos are typically roux-based. For four or five quarts of gumbo, start a roux with 3/4 cup of flour, 3/4 cup of oil. Traditionally the oil was lard, because we had hogs and lard is a natural result. If you use lard, you have to keep the heat low, and stirring the roux went on and on and on until the white flour toasted to a dark walnut brown.

I use corn oil or peanut oil now. I can crank the heat up and roux takes twenty minutes. If you're single-handing int eh kitchen, have your vegetables (onion, bell pepper and celery) chopped and ready to go before you start the roux, because you're going to be stirring for a while.

Make no mistake! It must be stirred continuously. Many a young Cajun got his or her first task in the kitchen stirring the roux while Mom or Grandma went about other tasks. And heaven help you if you slacked up and the roux burnt.

Making a roux is THE single scariest part of Cajun cooking. It's easily mastered, though, and with that foundation, Cajun gumbos and sauces piquant are easy steps to turning a half dozen simple ingredients into hearty and tasty meals. A Cajun with some onions and a roux and some kind of meat is a happy Cajun.

dale in Louisiana

[Gliden07]

Dale do they also use Okra to thicken Gumbos? I've seen recipes with Okra in them to thicken. Just wondering, I'm very interested in Cajun/Creole cooking (the real stuff after my 12 year ago trip to Louisiana). I've had good Gumbos since I was there but I don't know if I had a good one to start with?? Does that make any sense?? LOL!! Suggestions for sites or recipes are welcome!


If you add enough to the pot to actually thicken, it turns to soup-tasting snot.

Just a sprinkle or two on the top of your bowl, and you're good.

Cajun gumbos are typically roux-based. For four or five quarts of gumbo, start a roux with 3/4 cup of flour, 3/4 cup of oil. Traditionally the oil was lard, because we had hogs and lard is a natural result. If you use lard, you have to keep the heat low, and stirring the roux went on and on and on until the white flour toasted to a dark walnut brown.

I use corn oil or peanut oil now. I can crank the heat up and roux takes twenty minutes. If you're single-handing int eh kitchen, have your vegetables (onion, bell pepper and celery) chopped and ready to go before you start the roux, because you're going to be stirring for a while.

Make no mistake! It must be stirred continuously. Many a young Cajun got his or her first task in the kitchen stirring the roux while Mom or Grandma went about other tasks. And heaven help you if you slacked up and the roux burnt.

Making a roux is THE single scariest part of Cajun cooking. It's easily mastered, though, and with that foundation, Cajun gumbos and sauces piquant are easy steps to turning a half dozen simple ingredients into hearty and tasty meals. A Cajun with some onions and a roux and some kind of meat is a happy Cajun.

dale in Louisiana

[Dale in Louisiana]

Dale do they also use Okra to thicken Gumbos? I've seen recipes with Okra in them to thicken. Just wondering, I'm very interested in Cajun/Creole cooking (the real stuff after my 12 year ago trip to Louisiana). I've had good Gumbos since I was there but I don't know if I had a good one to start with?? Does that make any sense?? LOL!! Suggestions for sites or recipes are welcome!

Where I was raised in southwest Louisiana, there were two types of gumbos, file' and okra.

In a file' gumbo, the basis is, as I have pointed out before, a 'roux', and not that wimpy 'stir some flour into butter for a minute' French roux, but a Cajun roux, dark brown, smoky. Into that, goes at least some onion, chopped, and if you have it both regular onion and green onion, what the foodie world likes to call 'shallots', and again, if you have it, a bit of bell pepper and a bit of chopped celery. And meat. Chicken. Seafood. Turkey. Rabbit. Guinea fowl. Goose. Many Cajuns, me included, add a smoky Cajun sausage. The whole mess simmers for a couple of hours with an occasional stir and a taste for the balance of salt and pepper. At the table, for individual serving, is file', a fine powder of green dried sassafras leaves. When added to the hot bowl of gumbo, it adds an unmistakable flavor and some thickening. It was served over rice, medium grain, if you want to be picky.

Okra gumbo is thickened by the okra itself, and if you have enough okra, then the gumbo is flavored by that. When money was tight, okra gumbo had only a little meat and some smoked sausage for flavor.

If you see a gumbo recipe that calls for a laundry list of ingredients, including tomato, then it's a Creole gumbo, not Cajun, although there is a bit of smear in the two cultures over the years. My folks never put tomatoes in anything they called gumbo.

A recipe? Here's mine. (http://mostlycajun.com/wordpress/?p=4)

dale in Louisiana

[gwpercle]

wch,

I have my Dads Cajun Jambalaya recipe ( chicken and sausage ) and my wife's New Orleans , Creole Jambalaya recipe ( shrimp, andouille sausage , ham and tomatoe ). Which one you want?

[gwpercle]

OK wch , I will post both...Creole Jambalaya first: This is from my New Orleans born and raised wife's family. All measurements and weights are plus or minus, don't have to be exact except for rice.
8 ozs. Andouille sausage or any good smoked pork sausage. sliced into 1/4 in. thick rounds.
8 ozs. ham, cubed. can be leftover baked ham or a ham steak.
1 pound peeled shrimp tails, fresh or frozen ( I use frozen).
1-14 1/2 oz. can petite diced tomatoes or 2 cups chopped fresh tomato
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 tea. dried minced onion or onion powder
1 tea. dried minced garlic or garlic powder
1 tea. cajun or creole seasoning that you like or can find.
1 tea. salt
1 1/2 tea. Accent
2 tea. Lea & perrins worcestershire sauce
2 tea. ham base, optional
2 tea. chicken base, optional
4 cups water
2 1/2 cups rice

Coat the bottom of a good heavy bottomed pan. ( mine is a Magnalite chicken fryer pan ) that has a tight fitting lid, with vegtable oil, heat on high and brown sausage rounds till they start getting color around edges.Add ham chunks and cook 10 mins. Then add onion, celery and bellpepper. cook till veggies are soft and transparent, add chopped garlic and tomatoes with juice. Stir and cook 10 mins. Except for shrimp and rice add everything else on list stir well and let come to a simmer, then add shrimp, let mixture return to a gentle boil then add thr raw rice, stir well , cover pot with lid, lower heat to LOW...too high and the bottom will stick then scorch and burn, low heat...after 25 mins. lift the lid and check, dig into bottom of the pot with a spoon, if liquid is still present , put the top back and cook 10 - 15 mins. more , if still too much liquid, remve lid and let excess moisture evaporate. Cooking rice is an art and may take a few tries to get right. The rule is 1cup rice to 2 cups liquid...the only problem is the tomatoes , onins and shrimp all throw moisture into the pot and mess up your balance. If this comes out too wet add more rice next time, if too dry add more liquid.

Gary
I will post cajun jambala recipe tomorrow....getting hungry.

[wch]

Getting hungry?
I hear that, Gary.
Thanks.

[Gliden07]

Thanks Dale!! I printed the recipe and am gonna make it!!


Where I was raised in southwest Louisiana, there were two types of gumbos, file' and okra.

In a file' gumbo, the basis is, as I have pointed out before, a 'roux', and not that wimpy 'stir some flour into butter for a minute' French roux, but a Cajun roux, dark brown, smoky. Into that, goes at least some onion, chopped, and if you have it both regular onion and green onion, what the foodie world likes to call 'shallots', and again, if you have it, a bit of bell pepper and a bit of chopped celery. And meat. Chicken. Seafood. Turkey. Rabbit. Guinea fowl. Goose. Many Cajuns, me included, add a smoky Cajun sausage. The whole mess simmers for a couple of hours with an occasional stir and a taste for the balance of salt and pepper. At the table, for individual serving, is file', a fine powder of green dried sassafras leaves. When added to the hot bowl of gumbo, it adds an unmistakable flavor and some thickening. It was served over rice, medium grain, if you want to be picky.

Okra gumbo is thickened by the okra itself, and if you have enough okra, then the gumbo is flavored by that. When money was tight, okra gumbo had only a little meat and some smoked sausage for flavor.

If you see a gumbo recipe that calls for a laundry list of ingredients, including tomato, then it's a Creole gumbo, not Cajun, although there is a bit of smear in the two cultures over the years. My folks never put tomatoes in anything they called gumbo.

A recipe? Here's mine. (http://mostlycajun.com/wordpress/?p=4)

dale in Louisiana

[gwpercle]

Part II - Cajun Jambalaya: chicken and sausage ( feeds 4 cajun's, if they not too hungry )

1 lb. good smoked pork sausage, sliced into 1/4" rounds.
1 whole chicken, place into a stock pot, cover with cold water and simmer untill meat is cooked . Debone, cut meat into bite sized pieces, reserve meat and broth.
Alternate short cut-3 or 4 chicken breast ( about 2 lbs meat ) poached in canned or boxed chicken broth, reserve meat and broth. You want 4 cups broth reserved.
2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped.
2 cups chopped onion.
1 cup chopped celery.
1 cup bell pepper, chopped.
1 tea. cajun/creole seasoning ( Tony Chachere's if available)
1 tea salt
1 tea each onion and garlic powder
2 tea. Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce.
1 tea. Accent.
2 cups rice
On high heat, in a heavy bottomed pot w/ lid ( I use Magnalite chicken fryer ) brown the sausage rounds, stir often ( if no grease is produced by sausage add a tablespoon of olive oil to help with browning). When brown and the pot bottom has a good brown glaze covering it, quickly remove sausage and dump onions, celery and bellpepper into the pot. Deglaze, stir and scrape all the flavorful brown goodness from the bottom of the pot (flavor secrete). Cook veggies till totally soft, transparent and starting to brown ( we do not want crunchy celery , bell pepper or onion ). Add garlic, over cooking makes it bitter so 5 min. is fine.
add sausage, chicken, 4 cups reserved chicken broth, and everthing else on the list EXCEPT the rice. When the mixture comes back to a good boil ( still on high heat) add the rice,stir well, cover with lid, lower heat to LOW, must be low so bottom will not stick and scorch. Let simmer 25 minutes. do not lift the lid. After 25 min. lift lid and check
If rice is cooked its ready, too much moisture let cook 10 -15 min. more. Leave the lid off and moisture will evaporate faster if needed. It should be moist with rice fully cooked.

Gary

[pmeisel]

Gary, that's pretty close to the way I make it. I forget which aunt taught me now (I had lessons from several...) I love the stuff.

One tip for someone trying this, I like to put my whole chicken in one of those two part clam steamers, and steam the chicken until it is falling off the bone. I do this to get chicken meat and broth for other recipes too.

[high standard 40]

I live in Gonzales, La which is the official Jambalaya Capitol of the world. We hold a festival every spring with cooking contests. Everybody is held to the same ingredients. I have never competed but my Dad's brother won the title years ago. I cook my Jambalaya similarly to the recipe Gary listed as the Cajun recipe. I do differ on some points. My favorite is pork and sausage. I brown the sausage first to obtain some grease, then remove the sausage from the pot and I then brown the cubed pork. Once all the meat is browned, it is removed from the pot and the onions are added. The fire is lowered and the onions are cooked until wilted and browned, not burnt. Low and slow is the key. A good Jambalaya has uniformly brown colored cooked rice. This color can be obtained without any meat at all if the onions are cooked right. (A tip my uncle shared with me). The best Jambalaya gets it's flavor from the way you brown the meat and the onions. You don't need kitchen bouquet to get a good dark Jambalaya. Just be patient and cook the onions the right way. Once the onions are ready I add the garlic and the meat goes back in for a few minutes, then the water is added and seasoning adjusted to taste. The rice cooking method I use is similar to Gary's but I do take off the lid half way through cooking and gently lift the rice, DON'T STIR. This improves the even cooking of the rice. We usually use a well cured black iron pot, dedicated for this purpose. The Championship Contest pots are HUGH with round bottoms and are cooked outside on an oak wood fire which adds considerably to the flavor.
Cooking a good Jambalaya is an aquired skill and take much practice. So practice a lot.:grin:
Bon Appetit

Edited to add:
Here is a list of the required and optional ingredients in the Jambalaya Cooking contest. From only these ingredients comes some of the best Jambalaya in the world.

Cooking ingredients must include:
Preliminary round: 30 lbs chicken; 10 lbs rice
Semi-Final round: 45 lbs chicken; 15 lbs rice
Final round: 60 lbs chicken; 20 lbs rice

Other ingredients and Seasonings to be chosen from the following:
Yellow Onions
Garlic (Fresh & Granulated)
Green Onions
Red Pepper
Red Hot Sauce
Bell Peppers
Celery
Salt
Black Pepper
Cooking Oil

No Other Personal Seasoning Allowed in the Cooking Area.
Only Ingredients Provided by the JFA Will be Used.
Ingredients will be delivered to the cooking area thirty (30) minutes prior to start time of your heat.

[DLCTEX]

I ate Jambalaya at a restaurant in Florida on my last trip that was in no way related to the type I ate when I lived in south La. It was such a disappointment being overwhelmingly tomato and thin like a soup.
I prefer my Gumbo with a light roux (peanut butter color) and I don't care for the strong taste of chocolate colored roux. I add file' at the table, but am currently using Everglades Seasoning, bought in Florida, in cooking it and it has some file' in it. I have to substitute smoked sausage for andoui here.

[gwpercle]

I know Kitchen Bouquet is cheating but I tend to burn things, so I get them fairly brown and stop. I have burned more onions and roux's in my lifetime and hate to have to throw it all out and start over. So I admit it , I cheat on color.

Cajun jambalaya with andouille sausage and any meat is great, like Dale said , pork roast jambalaya is awesome! You can make it with any meat , wild or domestic. Whever we go on a vacation, out of LA. , good jambalaya is the thing I miss most. I'm addicted to it.

Gary

[gwpercle]

If anyone ever gets the opprotunity, go to the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival...it is FUN..
Whats also interesting is even though all contestants use the same basic ingredients, the cooking techniques gives each one a different flavor...and usually the winner didn't win it the year before. This is the place to learn about Jambalaya and how to make it. And you can perfect yor beer drinking technique. Cajuns know how to pass a good time.

[bart55]

I believe that jambalaya is probably one of the greatest foods in the world. I make it often and use a variation of Paul Prudhomme's with chicken shrimp and smoked sausage and depending on my mood its file powder on the table or okra in the mix. During duck season we add duck and goose and have added a whole slew of different game meats depending on the time of year and what's available . but no matter what its always a treat and the family loves it .

[Dale in Louisiana]

I believe that jambalaya is probably one of the greatest foods in the world.

It's so great that... Indian/Pakistani=biryani, Spain=paella, China=fried rice, Japan=takikomi gohan, Korea=bibimbap, etc., etc.

Everybody who uses rice has 'rice with something cooked in it'.

Same thing with beans.

The spices may change. The veggies may change. The meat may change. But you'll sit down with a plate of it thatn think 'My Cajun grandma would understand this'.

dale in Louisiana

[pmeisel]

I like the Mediterranean flavors of paella as a change of pace from the cajun and creole.... but I don't like dealing with bones or shells.

So I make a hybrid, with boned chicken thighs or cut up boned breasts, clams or oysters, shrimp, fish -- and black olives.... with a little milder seasoning than I use in the jambalaya. Good outlet for creativity and a nice change of pace.

My boss is from northern Spain and makes a mean paella.

[gwpercle]

Arroz Con Pollo is a jambalaya type dish, it may be Cuban or Spanish but is good.

[Artful]

Arroz Con Pollo is a jambalaya type dish, it may be Cuban or Spanish but is good.

puerto rican dish (at least one of) - notice all the islands have their own version of dishes that are popular.

http://www.goya.com/english/recipes/arroz-con-pollo


Arroz con Pollo - Chicken & Rice
The Classic Caribbean & Spanish Meal
Arroz con Pollo is a popular staple in the Caribbean kitchen. Our chicken and rice is extra special with the addition of Sazón GOYA® with Azafrán, which adds color and flavor derived from our unique saffron spice blend.

Make Arroz con Pollo tonight—everyone loves an easy rice and chicken dish.
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 min.
Total time: 45 min.
Ingredients
1 chicken (3½ - 4 lbs.), cut into 8 pieces
GOYA® Adobo with Pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. GOYA® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
¾ green bell pepper, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
1½ tsp. GOYA® Minced Garlic or 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1½ cups CANILLA Extra Long Grain Rice
1 packet GOYA® Powdered Chicken Bouillon
1 packet Sazón GOYA® with Azafrán
¼ cup GOYA® Pitted Alcaparrado, sliced
1 jar (4 oz.) GOYA® Fancy Sliced Pimientos
½ cup GOYA® Frozen Peas, thawed
Directions
1. Using paper towels, pat chicken dry. Season chicken with adobo. Heat oil in caldero, or large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook chicken, in batches, until brown on all sides, 7-10 minutes; set aside.
2. Stir onions, peppers and garlic into pot; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add rice, bouillon and sazón to pot; cook, stirring constantly, until rice is completely coated in oil mixture, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Add alcaparrado and chicken (skin-side up) to pot. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
4. To serve, using fork, fluff rice; garnish with pimiento strips and peas.

Arroz con Pollo / Chicken and Rice family receipe
Cut the 3-4 lb chicken into 8 pieces
Then, clean the chicken and pat dry
Marinate the chicken with adobo spice mix use the Goya brand
(you can find this in the foreign food in the Supermarket)
and oregano. In zip lock bag.
Start Fry cooking ham (cut it into bite size pieces) Medium high
with olive oil approximately ¼ cup of oil.
Once the ham is fried, you put in the chicken pieces.
Only cook it in the outsides, until a little bit until skin is browned.
Include 2 tablespoons of sofrito
(you can also find this in the foreign area of megamart)
1 cube of pollo Knorr (foreign area) or use chicken bullion
Include some stuffed olives.
2 bay leaves
Let everything fry for 2 - 3 minutes. (Stir everything)
add ½ cup of tomato sauce
Fry for 3 minutes
add 2 cups of water
2 dashes of BIJOL or Consomate
(this is a special powder that gives color to the food,
you can also find it in the foreign area or sub saffron threads)
Use some Salt to taste
Bring the water to a boil
lower burner to MEDIUM LOW
Include 2 cups of Long grain rice
Cover the rice for 25 minutes (aluminum foil works)
Take off the cover and turn/stir the rice
Cover again for another 25 minutes.
FINISH and Enjoy!

[Col4570]

Worked with a Dale in 1974 mainly around Virginia,he came up from Louisiana for a while.after a couple of weeks he started craving for Cajun food.One particular thing he missed was Rice and Gravy,I never did get to ask him exactly what this was but he certainly could,nt wait to get back to the good food he was used to.Just a good memory of my six months working in the USA.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Worked with a Dale in 1974 mainly around Virginia,he came up from Louisiana for a while.after a couple of weeks he started craving for Cajun food.One particular thing he missed was Rice and Gravy,I never did get to ask him exactly what this was but he certainly could,nt wait to get back to the good food he was used to.Just a good memory of my six months working in the USA.

"Rice & gravy" is the Cajun version of "Something Flavorful Over Rice" That becomes a staple worldwide, at least the parts of the world that have access to rice.

I made a batch Thursday in its most basic form: Brown some meat, adding a little oil if the meat is lean, until the meat has gotten really brown and bits of caramelized things are sticking to the bottom of the pot (which means a non-stick pot is almost a requirement) then stir in chopped onions (adding green peppers and celery if available) and cook over low heat until the onions are brown. Not translucent, BROWN! Takes time, but it's worth it. You can deglaze the pan with wine if you have wine, but water works just as well. Add water to cover the meat, turn the heat down and simmer. Add salt and pepper (red, black, both) to taste.

While that's simmering, make a pot of rice to go with it.

Serve a scoop of rice, a spoon of gravy, a serving of meat. Add a vegetable for a side dish, and that's what Cajuns ate for a couple of centuries. Dad didn't consider himself to have eaten if he didn't have rice at least once a day, and rice and gravy was several meals a week.

I've seen it made with smoked sausage, with pork, or chicken, or beef, including ground beef, and any of various indigenous critters who got int he way of a hungry Cajun.

When times were a bit tough, the amount of water in the gravy increased and the size of the serving of meat decreased.

Yesterday's was made up with one cut up pork chop and about eight ounces of good smoked sausage, one large onion, and it fed me and son (19) both and I have leftovers for today, which I plan on turning into a leftover version of jambalaya.

dale in Louisiana

[Col4570]

Thanks Dale,now I know, it sounds tasty and not too difficult.Rice goes with most any dish.In the UK besides our traditional fare Curry has become very popular always served with rice.
Had a brief spell in BatonRouge prior to flying up to Norfolk VA.Lived out of a suitcase for 6 months,mainly Philadephia,Hopewell,Waynesboro,Front Royal,parkersburg West VA,Copper Hill Tenesee.

[Rick N Bama]

Here's another Rice fan. Red Beans & Rice has became a favorite dish at my house, easy to prepare & quite tasty.....also cheap :)

Rick

[gbrown]

Rice is a favorite of mine and always has been. Rice and gravy all my life. As Dale says, something flavorable over rice, doesn't matter the ingredients, just good eating. When I was about 12, we lived in Delaware for 18 months and I ended up going to school for a year. Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes at school. Rice up there at the time was served as a breakfast cereal. One day I mentioned to my class mates, "Why don't they ever have rice and gravy?" Could have heard a pin drop. Like saying "Can I have some gravy on my oatmeal?" or "How about some Cheerios and gravy?" OOPS. We have rice 2 or 3 times a week and make all sorts of casseroles out of it. A big time staple down here.

[olafhardt]

OK why has nobody mentioned puldoo gumbo actually peaul d' eau gumbo whicb I probably spelled wrong. It means water chicken andis what the Cajuns I knew called coots. I knew guys who preferred them to ducks. There are two origins of the word gumbo. The African (Bantu I think) word gumbo which means okra and an Indian word kombo which means sassafras. I would say that led to two different types of quizines but my coonass friends (who did not call themselves cajuns) threw about any thing in the pot. Jambalya and yam are two words that both have the same African root word yam and both were mainstays of the slaves diet.

[olafhardt]

BTW yam means food.

[wch]

I was born in New Orleans and taught what was good to eat by a generation of women who lived in places like Houma and Gray and other small towns in Louisiana. My mother cooked dishes from Cajun (Lafitte) to (New Orleans) haute cuisine and by God, I ate like a king.

[gwpercle]

Not only am I also glad my Mother and Grandmother were good cooks but also grateful they showed me the basics in how to fix those Cajun and Creole dishes. I can't sing or dance ( absolutely no musical talent) but I can cook and still eat well. Maybe too well . My wife made the comment, after I fixed a batch of jambalya last week that it was better than my Mother's. It was good but I'm not gonna say it was better than Mom's....that's somthing you just don't say, she cooked with a lot of love.
Gary

[cainttype]

JAMBALAYA... 1 pot Cajun satisfaction.
There's many versions, but the basics always please crowds.
Cast iron dutch oven larger than you think you need, with a well-fitted lid.
1)Boneless chicken thighs cut into larger bite-sized pieces (also pork backbone, ham, and if added near the end... shrimp. All are mainstays... in ANY combination)
2)Favorite WELL-SMOKED sausage, sliced about 3/8 inch (real Cajun stuff obviously preferred)
3)Chopped onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic (about 40% onion, 30% celery, and 30% bell pepper with the fresh finely chopped garlic added to taste). You should probably use about 2-1 meat-to-veggies as a start.
4)Chicken stock (water if you don't have stock)
5)Rice (par-boiled preferably)
6)Salt, fresh ground black pepper, red pepper (cayenne pepper)


I'm being vague on quantities on purpose. This is a MEATY dish, served spicy, and bold. Your meat-to-sausage ratio can be close to even. Your tastes will dictate that eventually.
First, season your meat well with all spices and massage it in.
Next, add a little oil to coat the bottom of your pot and brown your meat(s). Do it in batches when cooking BIG pots. Brown sausage.
Remove meats (drain accumulted fats and oil, leaving enough to well-coat pot's bottom) and set aside while you saute the onions, bell pepper, and celery (you should have about 2-1, meat to veggies). Stir,stir,stir, making sure all the brown caramelized bits from the meats are scraped off the bottom and incorporated into your veggie mix. Add garlic after the rest is beginning to brown well and cook until garlic is fragrant.
Add meats (and ALL juices that might have accumlated in the dish where they rested) back to dutch oven and use enough stock to easily cover all, but not too much (1/4"-1/2" is fine for a meaty dish. You'll figure it out quicky for next time). Keep track of how much liquid you used (it's important). Bring to a gentle boil.
CHECK your seasoning... It should be VERY SPICEY. The end dish will mellow out with the addition of the rice.
Now, add half as much rice as you did stock and give it a quick, gentle stir. Let your pot simmer GENTLY for 15 minutes uncovered.
TURN the jambalaya with a larger spoon/paddle instead of stirring (stirring tends to break the rice too much). Cover well and gently simmer 15 more minutes. You may need to lower your heat slightly to prevent scorching.
Remove from heat. Turn your dish once more. Immediately cover well and let steam for 15 more minutes.
You've just made a real jambalaya...Where's the beer?
Chopped green onions and parsley are a great toppings. They can also be finely chopped and added with the rice if your tastebuds require some extra cooked-in flavor.

[cainttype]

olafhardt, apparently you're familiar with the SW area of Louisiana...best food and rustic cooks in the world, bar none.
The coots gumbo is often done using just the gizzards of the birds, because they're abnormally large and tastey (not to mention the fact that the birds have very little meat on their bones).
Coonasses are indeed a proud group. All Coonasses are Cajun, but not all Cajuns are Coonasses...so it can get a little odd. The foods and traditions have some overlaps, but there can be distinct differences.
Many years ago, well-intentioned bureaucrats in Louisiana decided that the term "Coonass" was insulting and derogatory. They banned it from TV, radio, billboards,etc. ... What the political dimwits should have done was ask the people it REFERRED too.
Coonasses everywhere immediately adopted the image of a raccoon with his tail held straight up, looking back at you with his hiney boldly displayed. The surrounding text was "REGISTERED COONASS...AIN'T WORRIED 'BOUT NOTHIN'!"...Now that's good stuff.
That image has been on worksites, toolboxes, and hardhats around the world and is often the first exposure that many people get to the fun-loving, good-natured people that probably make up one of the smallest ethnic groups in existence... so much for "burying" the C word! lol
Yes, I'm Coonass and proud. :)

[rondog]

Heh, I remember seeing a t-shirt long ago that said "I'm a coonass, me - what kinda *** are you?"

Jambalaya kinda sounds like chili, there's a million different recipes, depending on who's making it. I'd sure like to try me some authentic jambalaya someday, and gumbo, and crawfish etouffe - made by somebody that knows what they're doing and not some restaurant slop. I don't dig hot and spicy that much, but I sure dig FLAVOR!

[gwpercle]

I was going to take my son out to dinner, it was his birthday, instead he wanted me to fix him a pot of Jambalaya, kinda made me proud he wanted my Jambalaya over a restaurant meal. He must have liked it cause when he left the house he had all that was left in plastic container.
I never had a problem with the term " coonass" , just smile when you say it. Most of us aren't "Politically Correct" anyway. I don't know why some folk enjoy doing away with other people's heritage's but they do.
Gary
Certifed card carrying cajun/coonass and proud of it.

[cainttype]

rondog, I'd be happy to post or PM a simple etoufee' recipe if you would want to do it youself. I'm not sure what you guys in CO have handy, but down here we usually have shrimp or crawfish available (a firm-fleshed fish is not a bad alternative, in the absence of those 2).

[fourarmed]

I go for the basics. I slice some of my hot venison sausage into about 3/8" pieces and brown it in the dutch oven with onions, celery, and whatever chilies are around. When they are about done, I put in uncooked rice and brown it a little. Then I add liquid (stock with about a quarter cup of homemade hot sauce in it) just short of what it takes to make the rice completely soft, and put the lid on and simmer until done.