Creole Jambalaya

About This Recipe

Creole jambalaya, the red New Orleans style, builds layers of flavor in one pot: andouille sausage and chicken are browned first, the trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper sweats in the drippings, and then rice cooks directly in a tomato-laced stock so every grain absorbs the seasoning. Shrimp go in at the end so they stay plump. The tomato distinguishes Creole jambalaya from the brown Cajun version cooked in the countryside. This recipe works because the rice is left undisturbed while it simmers, which prevents the gummy, broken texture that ruins many home versions, and because the smoked sausage fat seasons everything that follows it into the pot.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 12 ozandouille sausage(sliced into half-inch coins)
• 1 lbboneless, skinless chicken thighs(cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 lblarge shrimp (21–25 count)(peeled and deveined)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 largeyellow onion(diced)
• 3 stalkscelery(diced)
• 1 largegreen bell pepper(diced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 2 tspCreole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)
• 1 can (14 oz)crushed tomatoes
• 1.5 cupslong-grain white rice
• 2.5 cupschicken stock(hot)
• 4scallions(sliced, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare

   Brown sliced andouille and chicken pieces in oil over medium-high heat until deeply colored, about 6 minutes, then remove. The fond left on the pot bottom is the flavor base for the whole dish.

2. 2

   Cook

   Sweat diced onion, celery, and green bell pepper in the drippings for 5 minutes until soft, scraping up the browned bits, then stir in garlic, tomato paste, and Creole seasoning and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

   Let the tomato paste darken slightly before adding liquid; that caramelization deepens the color of the finished rice.

3. 3

   Combine

   Return the meats, add long-grain rice, crushed tomatoes, and hot stock, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to the lowest simmer, and cook 20 to 25 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring.

   Stirring the rice mid-cook releases starch and turns jambalaya gummy; trust the lid and the timer.

4. 4

   Serve

   Scatter raw shrimp over the surface, re-cover, and let them steam 5 minutes off the heat until pink. Fluff gently with a fork, taste for salt and cayenne, and finish with sliced scallions.

Variations

• •

  Make Cajun-style brown jambalaya by omitting the tomatoes and letting the meats brown harder for color.

• •

  Swap the shrimp for crawfish tails or lump crab during Gulf season.

• •

  Use boneless chicken thighs and smoked turkey sausage for a leaner pot that still tastes smoky.

• •

  Add a cup of sliced okra with the trinity for extra body and a nod to gumbo.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days and reheat with a splash of stock to loosen the rice; cool the pot quickly rather than leaving rice at room temperature. Jambalaya freezes well for 2 months, though shrimp soften slightly on thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions