When I first made this a few years ago, my husband had recently been to New Orleans, and said this tasted almost exactly like the great jambalaya he had on his trip. We make this jambalaya a few times a year, changing it up a little each time depending on what we have on hand. This makes great leftovers, and we usually freeze a couple containers of this, just thaw it out overnight in the frig for a quick weeknight meal or lunch.
You can substitute ingredients based on what you may have on hand or is convenient in a pinch. If you can’t find andouille, you can use any type of Cajun sausage or even chorizo. Use sage or Cajun seasoning instead of poultry seasoning. Use small frozen precooked shrimp instead of easy peel. Thaw under running water while preparing jambalaya. Fold into jambalaya during the last few minutes of cooking time and cook until just warm.
Make It Gluten Free
With a few simple substitutions, you can make this gluten free. Use brown rice flour instead of all-purpose flour, make sure that the Worcestershire sauce is gluten free, and make sure that the andouille sausage is gluten free.
[Updated February 2014.]
Jambalaya
Equipment
- rice cooker (or you can cook it on the stove)
- 6 quart pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (once around the pan)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 pound chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 12 ounces gluten-free andouille sausage (casing removed and diced)
- 1 medium onion (chopped, about 1 cup)
- 2 ribs celery (chopped)
- 1 green bell pepper (chopped, about 1 cup)
- 1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free brown rice flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes in juice
- 14 ounces chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 rounded teaspoon dark chili powder
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound medium shrimp (raw, deveined and peeled)
- kosher salt and black pepper
- chopped scallions (for garnish)
- fresh thyme (chopped for garnish)
Preparation
- Cook rice to package directions.
- Place a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and butter to the pan. Cube chicken and place in hot oil and butter. Brown chicken 3 minutes, add sausage, and cook 2 minutes more. Add onion, celery, pepper, bay, and cayenne.
- Saute vegetables 5 minutes, sprinkle flour over the pan and cook 1 or 2 minutes more. Stir in tomatoes and broth and season with cumin, chili, poultry seasoning, and Worcestershire. Bring liquids to a boil and add shrimp.
- Simmer shrimp 5 minutes until pink and firm. Remove the pot from the heat and place on a trivet. Ladle jambalaya into shallow bowls. Using an ice cream scoop, place a scoop of rice on to the center of the bowlfuls of jambalaya. Sprinkle dishes with salt, pepper, chopped scallions, and thyme leaves.
