Jambalaya

Over a year ago, I went to New Orleans.  It is a beautiful city.  It is one of the most picturesque cities that I have ever visited.  The architecture was stunning.

The food was also phenomenal.  I ate étouffée and red beans and rice.  For some inexplicable reason, I didn't not eat any beignets while I was there.  I intended to eat some, but I kept putting it off.  Poor planning on my part.  I guess that means I'll have to return and try them.

 Believe it or not, I tasted Jambalaya for the first time while I was there.  All the food was delicious.  I wanted to try and recreate all the food as soon as I got back, but it has taken over a year to even attempt one dish.  I think I have a problem with procrastinating.  

According to Wikipedia, Jambalaya is a Louisiana dish that was influenced by Spanish and French cuisines.  It contains celery, onion, and green peppers, along with other vegetables like carrots, and tomatoes.  It also contains andouille sausage along with other meats like chicken, pork, or shrimp.

Apparently the rice is supposed to be prepared with the other ingredients instead of prepared separately.  Gumbo is served over rice, while jambalaya contains rice. This recipe must not be authentic.  It was created in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  Spanish cooks wanted to recreate paella without saffron.  Tomatoes were used instead of saffron.  French and caribbean spices continued to influence the dish.

The first printed use of the world jambalaya occurred in 1837.  The word means mish mash or mixup.    I found this Jambalaya recipe on allrecipes.com.  It was supposed to be made in a crock pot, but I just made it over the stovetop because of time constraints.  I didn't use celery.  I also used more Cajun seasoning than directed and added chicken bullion.  

The ingredients are 1 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, 1 pound andouille sausage, 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 large onion, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 large green bell pepper, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 chicken bullion cubes, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dried time, 1 pounds shrimp, and 1 teaspoon salt.  The recipe called for cooked shrimp, but I used raw shrimp.

I melted the butter over medium high heat in a large skillet.  I then added the diced onion.  I added two minced garlic cloves.  I sautéed the onion and garlic for three minutes.

I added the dried oregano, Cajun seasoning, chopped red pepper, cayenne powder, and salt.  I sautéed these ingredients for another three or four minutes.

I added chopped chicken, chopped andouille sausage, the can of tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, and chicken bullion.  I let this timer for twenty minutes.

I added the shrimp and let the jambalaya simmer for another eight minutes.

I severed this jambalaya over rice.

This was delicious.  It was fragrant and full of wonderful flavors.  It has some kick and spice from the cayenne pepper and cajon seasoning.

The sausage gave the dish some flavor.  It was hearty and packed full of savory meats.  

Everything was perfectly cooked.  The chicken was tender and not dry.  The tomatoes added tang and acidity.

All the flavors melded together well.  

It was an appetizing and scrumptious dish.