Does anyone have a good authentic jambalaya recipe they're willing to share. College football season is aproaching and I can't think of anything better than a pot of jambalaya on a cool fall evening. I'm not really interested in any crock pot plug and play recipes. Wanting something that cajuns would proudly serve to their families. I don't mind finding fresh crawfish or expensive ingredients. When it comes to food I don't skimp. Thanks!!!!

Simple and straightforward.

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/jambalaya-savoy.html

Thanks man! I'll let you know how it turns out. Probably try it sometime this coming week.

i'd cut the onion back to 1 large, add three or two diced celery ribs, and toss in some diced tomato., maybe a can or maybe 2-4 medium tomatoes. cook the chicken and sausage till about done, remove, toss in the onions,pepper and celery and cook till about 3/4 done, toss in the tomato and cook until the tomato water is gone, throw in the water, maybe a bay leaf or three, tsp thyme, oregano, water, meats, and rice, cook till rice is done, eat. you can throw in some hotter chiles when you're cooking the veggies, if you like a little heat.

That's a good start.  Some things I'd add:  Make sure to brown the meat really, really good.  That's where Jambalaya gets its brown color from.  Also, I'd simmer the chicken until its falling apart and de-bone it.  You want bits of meat all mixed in with the rice.

The above recipe doesnt look bad. I'd also recommend getting rid of one of the onions and adding celery-- celery really works well in Jambalaya.

One step they don't do that I always do is to toast the rice in the pot for a couple minutes before adding the liquids. I'd do that after cooking the vegetables in that recipe. Also, some better than bullion beef base and/or vegetable base can be good additions, just don't go overboard and adjust your salt accordingly. Though the bullion bases might not be strictly authentic, none of my Louisiana relatives have complained. Just to be clear, I'm talking about adding maybe 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of each to add some flavor, their purpose isnt to serve as the stock the rice is cooked in.

And I usually prepare it in a heavy lidded pot on the stovetop, then do the simmering phase in the oven at about 250 for about 30 min. Keeps things easy.

Tag

 

Usually when I cook chicken stew I start with a whole bird and boil it till it starts to fall off the bone. I then take the bird out of the pot and debone returning the chicken to the broth.  I'm assuming your talking about the same except get rid of the broth?

Thanks!

Basically, as long as you brown it really well first.  It should look like this when you are done:  



ETA:

Here's the recipe for the jambalaya I cooked in that picture.  Had to wade through the archives of GD to find it.  

1 fryer chicken, cut up into 8-10 pieces
1 lb good sausage, cut up into small pieces
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
3 cups rice
oil or shortening
a few shoots of green onions, diced
water
cajun seasoning or salt black pepper red pepper and garlic

In a cast iron dutch oven, heat oil or shortening over medium high heat. Brown your chicken until its really brown, and starting to stick to the bottom of the pot. Remove that, and brown your sausage. Once the sausage is well browned, remove it and add your onions and bell peppers. Cook them til the onions are translucent and soft. Now add some water and start scraping all that crap of the bottom of the pot. Water should turn a nice brown color. Let that simmer for a few minutes, then add your chicken and sausage back to the pot. Season to taste with cajun seasoning. Cover with water and simmer until the chicken is falling off the bone.

Next turn off the burner and debone the chicken. Once that's done add the green onions, 3 cups of rice and 3 cups of water. Slowly bring this to a boil and let it boil till the water level is just below the top of the rice. Now put the lid on, turn your fire down low, and let it cook for 15 minutes. Fluff and serve.

Looks great! Appreciate the info! I plan on cooking a batch possibly this coming weekend. I'll update with pics if I do. Also, that's brown rice I'm assuming??

Nope, that's plain ol' Louisiana grown white rice.  Its brown because of all the brown bits on the bottom of the pot from browning the chicken.

Looka Dat!

EDIT

Normally, when someone tries someone else's stuff, like in Pintrist, and they post their results next to the original, there's a "nailed it" sign and everyone laughs.

Your rendition of this lady's Jambalaya is head and shoulders above hers!  You didn't just nail it, you set a new standard.

Haha!  Thanks.   Termite is actually her son and it's mostly his recipe.   His brothers are good cooks too.  They're wife's family.   Good people.

I hope to try this Termite's recipe soon!  Thanks!!!