Comfort Food Saturday: Jambalaya

This week, I asked my mom to share her Jambalaya recipe with us for Comfort Food Saturday.  Please leave her lots of comments so she'll agree to do regular guest posts!  She has some amazing recipes to share and is responsible for making me the foodie that I am.  Thanks, Mom!

 

Everyone please welcome Jenny, aka: J, aka: Dean's Grammy, aka: My mom. (But not your mom.).

 

Here's a recipe I got from a friend.  I don't think she would mind my passing it along to you.  I first had it at a Super Bowl party and had to have the recipe.  Everyone there loved it.  It's one of the best jambalaya recipes I've ever tasted.  I hope you enjoy it, too.

 

Janice's Chicken-Sausage Jambalaya

8 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, salted and peppered

1 lb. Hillshire Farms turkey smoked sausage (or, if you live in the South and like it,  Bryan Brothers pork or beef smoked sausage.  You could also use andouille if you can find it.)

1 large onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 14 - 16 oz. can chopped tomatoes

1/4 - 1/2 cup roux (you may use the powder form in a jar, whisked into water)

1 1/2 - 2 t. Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning

1 t. Tabasco sauce

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 - 2 T. olive oil

2 1/2 c. Uncle Ben's rice (or regular long grain if you can't find Uncle Ben's)

2 1/2 t. salt

6 c. chicken broth (canned or carton - I use Kitchen Basics unsalted in the box)

1 black iron kettle w/lid (key ingredient)  I have to confess that I don't have a black iron kettle large enough for this recipe, so I use a dutch oven and it turns out fine. 

In kettle, put in oil and halved chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cook until about 3/4 done (15-20 minutes), without browning.  Remove chicken to holding bowl.  Saute' onion and red bell pepper in kettle until tender, about 20 minutes.  Add tomatoes, stir in broth and seasonings, and bring to a boil.  Whisk in roux, and then add rice.  Reduce heat to medium and cover.  Cook 20 minutes.  Cut or tear chicken into bite-size pieces and slice sausage in 1/4 -1/2 inch rounds.  After rice mixture has cooked 20 minutes, push meats down into rice and stir once.  Cover and cook at low heat another 20-30 minutes, until rice is done and most of liquid is absorbed.  Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. 

If you're taking this to a covered dish dinner or party, to prevent drying out or overcooking, transfer the jambalaya to a crockpot and set on low/warm to maintain until ready to serve.  This will fill a 6 quart crockpot.

 

If you can't find roux in a jar, you'll need to make your own.  Here is how to make it.

1/4 -1/2 c. oil

1/4 - 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Heat oil in kettle and stir in flour.  Stir continuously over medium/low heat for about 20 minutes, until mixture is caramel colored, or the color of an old penny, as the Cajuns say.  Be careful not to burn the roux or you will have to throw it out and start over.  It is very important to stir constantly until roux is done to keep from burning it. 

Alternate roux (fat-free):

 Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread flour on a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan.  Place in hot oven and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir flour well, making sure it is spread evenly on the sheet.  Return it to the oven and repeat until flour is brown.  Watch carefully so that it doesn't burn.  This will take about 20 minutes (stirring four times).  It will be smoky, so use your stove's vent fan. This roux is fat-free and can be kept in a jar in the pantry until ready to use if you make more than you need for your recipe.  It is handy for gravies and sauces as well as jambalaya and gumbo.  It works very well and tastes great. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do at our house!

Jenny 

Comments

[Meredith]

Yummy!! What I really want is the Chicken Ro-tel recipe!!

~Meredith

[J]

Hey, Meredith! I'll do that one next. :)

[The HotchPotchery]

YUM! Jen, since you live down here, you might want to try this with Conecuh hot smoked sausage...we use it in our red beans and rice, and it is by far the best smoked sausage I have ever had, and it is local!

[Jen L.]

Thanks for the sausage tip, HP!

I second Meredith's request for Chicken Ro-Tel next time. (no salt there, huh?)

[eva]

Wait - you and your mom have the same name? "Jen and Jenny make Janice's Jambalaya!" More "j" than I've used all day!!