Pork, Chicken & Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

Like many Cajun and Creole dishes, there must be a thousand and one different nuances and ways to prepare them, but when I first had Jambalaya, back in the late 80′s/early 90′s it was at the restaurant (Beacham’s Jazz & Blues Club) that was attached to the concert hall (the Beacham Theatre) I worked at in Orlando. The owners of the both the theatre and restaurant/jazz & blues nightclub) were from New Orleans and Baton Rouge respectively, and they had particular notions about the right way to prepare New Orleans style dishes. That ‘right way’ colors my definition. Tomatoes and pasta don’t fit in that definition.

Since then, I’ve been on the look out for recipes that fit my particular taste. I believe this one does. Its not soupy, it has big chunks of meat (pork, chicken and andouille sausage), nary a tomato and the standard ingredients for almost all good New Orleans recipes: onions, green peppers, celery, green onions, black pepper and parsley.

Ingredients

Prep Time: 1.5 hours

Yields: 6 serving

• 1# cubed pork butt
• 1# cubed chicken breast
• 1# sliced andouille sausage
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups diced onions
• 2 cups diced celery/li>
• 1 cup diced bell peppers
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• salt & black pepper to taste
• Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste
• 4 cups uncooked long grain rice

Instructions

In a 2 gallon cast iron Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute pork 30 minutes or until dark brown on all sides and beginning to stick to bottom of pot.
(Note: He’s not kidding, it seems weird, but it does take this long.)
This process is very important as the brown color of jambalaya is derived from the meat.
(Note: Make sure you turn on the vent, or your house will smell like cooked meat for several days if you don’t!!!)

Stir in chicken and andouille sausage. Reduce heat to medium and stir fry 10-15 minutes. Tilt pot to one side and ladle out all oil except for one large cooking spoonful.
(Note: I took out too much, so I wonder what size is ‘one large cooking spoonful‘ really?)

Add onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Continue to cook until all vegetables are well caramelized, being careful not to scorch them.

Pour in stock, bring to a rolling boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Stir in mushrooms, green onions and parsley. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. If desired, slightly over season dish since rice has not been added.

Add rice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover and cook 30 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes. Do not uncover except to stir. When cooked, stir and let steam 10 minutes.

Post cooking notes

Makes about 8-10 servings! Very happy with this first recipe, and ate this four more times for dinner this week. Seems to freeze well. Best reheated via stove top with a bit of water.

The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine,
Chef John D. Folse, CEC, AAC

Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans
by Marcelle Bienvenu, Judy Walker

The first recipe I ever made from this cookbook is the legendary Red Beans & Rice. Sadly, I’m not much of a beans person, so the whole mystique of this recipe is lost on me. Tim also never favored it, so we won’t feature that in this new blog series.

First recipe we’ll attempt: Pork, Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya from John Folse’s Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine.

Its definitely autumn here is the DC region, where the leaves are turning and falling.

Red Oak Leaves...turning red

My spring and fall blooming azaleas are at the end of their autumn bloom cycle, but the Camellias are just starting. This bush has been allowed to naturalize and its bushy and beautiful. Growing up in Central Florida, we had a ring of Camellias in our shared yard, and it was the only thing blooming during December, January and February. I was always so amazed and thankful for them at a time when even in sunny warm Florida, nature took a brief winter catnap.

Wild Camellias in University Park

Up close and gorgeous! Look at those dark, glossy leaves, the bright, happy pop of the yellow center and the hot pink petals. Swoon, I’m in love! Looks like we’ll need to plant a few of these in the back yard next spring.

Hot Pink Camellia

Finally, a house we usually pass by on our way home, its lovely and sits amidst some smaller bungalows. Since we really don’t have much of a southern style front porch, I’m a sucker for houses that have them.

University Park House

What did you do over Veteran’s day weekend? I hugged my veteran, thanked him for his 8 years of service, and we enjoyed our long weekend. Hope yours was wonderful.

Shrimp Corn Chowder - Image Source : http://atthehoneysuckletree.blogspot.com

Another recipe I was able to bring home, was this very delicious Shrimp Corn Chowder – its attributed to my cousin Suzy, but my cousin Mary made it for us our last hours in Buffalo. If you have any cholesterol problems, best to steer clear of this one.

Ingredients:

• 2 pkgs chopped prosciutto
• 1 cup red onion
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 cups fresh corn
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 & 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 lb shrimp

Preparation Instructions:

• saute prosciutto for 4 min and take out and set on napkin
• saute onion celery thyme and garlic 3 min
• add chicken stock
• puree warmed up corn and add to pan, simmer for 10 min
• add shrimp (can be frozen) or cook fresh prior to this
• add cream to low simmer
• add prosciutto
• salt and pepper to taste