This recipe was originally published in January of 2021. I am bringing it back because, in the Philippines, the Christmas countdown began over a month ago, and people are already thinking about what to cook for Christmas and New Year parties and family reunions.
Paella (or arroz a la Valenciana as the local adaptation is often called) is a popular holiday dish because it feeds a crowd without seriously breaking the bank. Jambalaya is similar to paella but the flavors are different. If you’re in the mood to serve a dish that would be considered non-traditional, let me tell you that jambalaya is a real crowd pleaser.
Why is this dish called jambalaya? Oh, there are a few thories. On says it comes from jambalaia which means mish mash in the Provençal dialect. Others say it is a combination of jamon and paella. There are even more theories about its origin but the evidence supports the belief that it is an adaptation of the West African jollof rice.
What I love about jambalaya is how it illustrates that it doesn’t take a schooled chef to concoct a dish that is aromatic, beautifully colorful and delicious. According to historians, jambalaya was first cooked in America by enslaved Black people in Louisiana — a fusion of African cooking, local produce, and Spanish and French influences (Spain and France were colonizers of Louisiana).
The enslaved people cooked the dish in cast iron pots which retained enough heat to caramelize the natural sugars in the ingredients. This cooking process would later be called the Maillard reaction after a French chemist. Imagine that. A cooking process utilized for centuries by slaves named hundreds of years later after a white man. But, anyway…
I did use a cast iron pan to make my jambalaya. The process begins with browning slices of Andouille and chicken seasoned with Cajun seasoning. Once caramelization set in, chopped onion, bell pepper and celery — the combination often referred to as the holy trinity of Cajun cooking — were added and cooking continued until the vegetables softened a bit.
Next, the rice is added. Long-grain rice is ideal because the grains don’t clamp together the way short-grain and most medium-grain rice varieties do. If you haven’t discovered it yet, the longer the rice grain the less starchy the rice and, therefore, less sticky.
Broth was poured in and everything cooked together until the rice needed just a few more minutes to get cooked through.
It was at this stage that I added the shrimps and peas. Most recipes say put ALL the ingredients in the pot and let them cook together but I so abhor overcooked shrimps so I add them towards the end. A short time later, the shrimps were done and so were the rice grains. And the peas were perfectly heated through by then.
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken thigh fillets
- 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 300 grams Andouille sausages sliced into rings
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 large bell pepper deseeded and chopped
- 2 cups long-grain rice
- 4 cups chicken bone broth
- salt
- 200 grams shrimps peeled and deveined (see notes)
- ½ cup sweet peas
Instructions
- Dry the chicken fillets with paper towels and cut into two-inch cubes.
- Mix the Cajun seasoning and chicken.
- Allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge for at least two hours.
- Heat the cooking oil in a heavy pan (cast iron was used here).
- Spread the Andouille slices and marinated chicken in the hot oil and cook over high heat until browned.
- Add the chopped onion, celery and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add the rice to the meat and vegetables. Stir to coat each grain with oil.
- Pour in the broth and stir. If the broth is unseasoned or underseasoned, add salt.
- Cover the pan tightly and allow the rice to soak up the liquid until about three-quarters done.
- Spread the shrimps and peas over the rice.
- Cover the pan once more and cook for another five to ten minutes or until the rice and shrimps are done.
- Fluff up your Cajun jambalaya and serve.
