Experiments From Auntie's Test Kitchen
J is for Jambalaya
Years ago, Alabama's Calhoun County was home to a tiny family-owned restaurant called Li'l Cajuns. As the name suggests, this eating establishment specialized in Cajun and Creole food. I had the privilege (and budget) to only eat there once, but what I ate was fantastic. The problem is, it's been so long (more than 15 years ago) that I had that one dish, I can't remember what it was. Also, the restaurant doesn't exist anymore. I either had etouffee or jambalaya. I only know it wasn't gumbo because I'd rather be pelted with an aluminum folding chair than eat boiled okra. Since the shrimp and tomato base are similar to both dishes and I've already done an E entry, I chose Jambalaya. The recipe is as follows:
Easy Cajun Jambalaya
by Lauren Miyashiro
Original recipe is here.
My adaptations are in parenthesis.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, chopped (it didn't say what color, so I used green ones)
- Kosher salt (I used regular salt)
- Freshly ground black pepper (I used regular McCormick's black pepper)
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 tsp. dried oregano (I used Italian seasoning that had oregano as part of the mix)
- 6 oz. Andouille sausage, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 c. low-sodium chicken stock (I used 1 can of regular chicken broth, which is a little less than 2 cups--close enough)
- 1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 c. long grain rice (used one bag of Success boil-in-bag brown rice)
- 2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used 12 oz of deveined, precooked salad shrimp because I know NOTHING about peeling and deveining shrimp)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced (I didn't use these at all)
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then stir in chicken and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook until the chicken is golden, about 5 minutes (the chicken does not get golden, but it does get done, and it takes longer than 5 minutes), then stir in Andouille sausage, garlic, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more (I cooked it longer than this, about 5 minutes).
- Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, rice (I opened the boil-in-bag rice and added it), and Old Bay. Reduce heat to medium low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 20 minutes (if the rice is parboiled like mine, 20 minutes works. If you start with uncooked rice, there's no way it will be ready in 20 minutes).
- Add the shrimp and cook until pink, 3 to 5 minutes (that's enough time to heat the precooked shrimp).
- Stir in green onions just before serving (didn't use).
I made this for my lunch this week, but forgot that it's got shrimp in it. I'm not putting my co-workers through the stench of reheating a dish with seafood in it in the communal microwave.
Sometimes I wonder if there's not something wrong with my taste buds. Honestly, I don't know what I think of this concoction. When I smell it, I am completely turned off by it, but when I add a little salt to and consume it, I can endure it. The spiciness isn't overwhelming and I like the things that are in the dish. I guess if I must endure it rather then enjoy it and I can't bring myself to eat any more of it, I've answered the question of whether it's a success or not. It's been in my refrigerator long enough; I need to chose to either freeze it, eat it, or dump it.
Well, back to the drawing board. I still have a few letters left to create something enjoyably edible. **facepalm**
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