Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya
The only thing better than cooking is cooking with someone you enjoy spending time with. You not only get an extra pair of hands to help with all the chopping and stirring, but you also get to share the finished product over good conversation and laughter. The best part is that you will always associate the dish with the person you made it with, making the food so much more meaningful.
My friend Karla is a great cook and an amazing party planner. A few months ago, she held a pretty Pink Poodle in Paris party for her daughter’s birthday. Last weekend, she threw me the most beautiful jungle-themed baby shower with colorful decorations and delicious food. Naturally, she is the perfect person to spend a cooking date with.
I headed over to Karla’s house the other day to make this jambalaya together. This is the perfect dish to cook with someone because it requires a lot of chopping. Like most Cajun dishes, this one starts with the holy trinity–chopped onions, celery and bell peppers. The flavors are then deepened with tomatoes, parsley, bay leaves and green onions. The vegetables give a sweet and tangy taste to the rice.
I know this dish defies all of my mostly-vegetarian eating rules. Kielbasa sausage, smoked ham, I am not even sure if these ingredients are pregnancy-friendly. But the meats are really necessary in adding the salty and smoky flavors to the dish. To make the dish bit healthier next time, I might substitute the meats with organic turkey Italian sausages removed with their casing.
This jambalaya is not as spicy as most. I like it this way because I think too much spiciness can overpower the sweetness of the vegetables. I like to leave it up to the eater to add however much Tabasco sauce he or she prefers at the end. If you like heat and can’t live without it, feel free to use the whole jalapeno without seeding it, or substitute kielbasa sausage with the traditional Cajun andouille sausage.
This recipe makes a huge pot. It’s a great one-pot meal to feed a crowd. If you really want to be fancy, you can make a salad and some corn bread. But what this dish really needs is a good friend to share it with.
Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya
From Amelia Durand via Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network
- Olive oil, 1 tablespoon
- Kielbasa sausage, 1 pound, sliced
- Smoked ham, 1 pound, diced
- Butter, 1 tablespoon
- Celery, diced, 1 cup
- Green bell pepper, 1 medium, cored and diced
- Red bell pepper, 1 medium, cored and diced
- Tomato, 3 medium, seeded and diced
- Garlic, 3 cloves, minced
- Jalapeno pepper, 1, seeded and minced
- Dried oregano, 1 teaspoon
- Dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon
- Tomato paste, 2 tablespoons
- Chicken stock (I like free-range, low-sodium), 6 cups
- Long-grain rice, 3 cups
- Dried bay leaves, 3
- Scallions, chopped, 1/2 cup (about 5 stalks), divided
- Parsley, chopped, 3/4 cups, divided
- Lemon juice, 1/4 cup (from about 1 lemon)
- Medium shrimp, 1 pound, peeled and deveined
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the kielbasa and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove the kielbasa to a bowl, and set aside. Add the ham to the same pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to the bowl with the kielbasa, and set aside.
Add the butter, onion, celery and peppers to the same pot and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato, garlic, jalapeno, oregano, thyme, and tomato paste and cook until all the vegetables and herbs are blended well, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
Stir in the rice, and add the sausage, ham and bay leaves. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the scallions, 1/4 cup of the parsley, the lemon juice and the shrimp, and stir well. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat and allow the jambalaya to steam for 20 minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove the bay leaves.
Plate in individual bowls. Garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup scallions and 1/2 cup parsley and a dash of hot sauce.
Serves 6 to 8.
Your pictures turned out so well! I really enjoy cooking with you too. Can’t wait to read some posts from China. Hope you have a great trip!