"It's time for a little history lesson. Listen well. Some say that the word jambalaya came from the French word jambon for ham, the African ya meaning rice, and the Acadian phrase à la. And you must understand that there are brown jambalaya's, made by caramelizing and browning the onions and meats, and red ones, made by adding tomatoes. There are as many recipes for jambalaya as there are for gumbos in Louisiana. Personally, I like a bit of tomatoes in mine; I think it gives it a nice flavor. But I'll let you taste, and then you can make up your own mind," Eula Mae says.
Jambalaya is also one of those popular Louisiana dishes that are very apropros for dining on the water. It's a one-pot meal, but you can serve it with a nice green salad and French bread.
When you're browning the chicken and ham, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. That gives the jambalaya a good flavor.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2
Add the ham to the pot and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the ham to the chicken in the bowl.
Step 3
Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic to the pot and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Return the chicken and ham to the pot, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 4
Add the chicken broth and reserved tomato juice, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
Step 5
Mash the cooked garlic against the side of the pot and blend into the mixture. Add the tomatoes, green onions, parsley, shrimp, and Tabasco and adjust the seasonings to taste. Add the rice, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and fluffy and the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.
Recipe notes
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