Last month, we embarked an epic 3 week road trip. The trip had been at least a year in the making. It was originally intended to be a 6-8 week trip, a trip that would take us through the South and out to the West Coast and back. As we’ve never officially road tripped before, and we weren’t sure what to expect, we decided to chop the trip into two parts and we started with a 3-4 week trip through the south east to Texas.
One of our stops was in New Orleans Louisiana. This was our first trip to New Orleans so we tried to do it all. We explored Bourbon Street and drank a few Hurricanes. We went deep into the swamps in search of alligators and fresh crawfish. We stuffed ourselves silly with beignets and all the other New Orleans delicacies like Etouffee, Gumbo, Jambalaya and Chargrilled Oysters. I think we even tried Alligator, I think it was good. It tasted like chicken.
The food was incredible. (We gained a few pounds thanks to that good food.)
As I always, I like to bring the spirit of a city and place back home with me. Sometimes in the form of cheap souvenirs. Sometimes in the form of a memorable meal. So in the spirit of New Orleans, I present to you………..Creole Jambalaya.
I want to address the fact that I am not from New Orleans. This was my first trip. I am sure there are as many ways to make Jambalaya as their are ways to skin a cat. I don’t know if I have broken any cardinal rules regarding jambalaya, but this recipe is a keeper. It’s good, it’s not too spicy.
CREOLE JAMBALAYA RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Andouille Sausage, sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 Stick Celery, sliced
- 1/2 Onion chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, optional, adjust for heat
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 cup White Rice, rinsed
- 1 lb. IQF Raw Shrimp, peeled (I used the 26/30 size)
Instructions
Cook the Andouille Sausage slices in a dutch oven or large pot in a little olive oil until they are slightly caramelized on both sides, then remove with a slotted spoon.
Add crushed garlic, onion, bell pepper and celery to the pan and saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes on a medium heat.
Add the seasonings to the pan or pot and stir well, then add the rinsed rice and add that to the pan along with the chicken broth and fire roasted tomatoes and return the andouille sausages to the pan, mix well to combine.
STOVE TOP JAMBALAYA
Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low, add the lid, and simmer for 20 -35 minutes or until rice is fully cooked.
Once the rice is cooked stir in the raw shrimp, then put the lid back on and simmer for 15 minutes. The heat from the rice should be enough to cook the shrimp all the way through. If it’s not hot enough, serve with hot sauce on the side.
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