Jambalaya: A Spicy Showcase for Southern U.S. Rice
You know a dish is really good when everybody wants to claim it. Is jambalaya a Creole or a Cajun creation? Both groups believe firmly that it's theirs, and we may never know the answer. Suffice it to say that the invention of jambalaya was inevitable in a rice-growing state with a strong Spanish presence. The fingerprints of the Spanish are all over jambalaya, with its green peppers and sausage and spice. The difference between paella and jambalaya, after all, is mainly a matter of seasoning.
Smoked Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya. View the recipe or watch the video.
Louisiana cooks use long-grain rice for jambalaya because that's the rice they grow. The basic concept calls for simmering the rice in a spicy stock with whatever seasonings the cook feels like adding and whatever ingredients the family's hunter-gatherer brought home that day—shrimp, duck, crawfish, crabs, oysters, smoked pork or chicken, or a combination. In the spirit of so much of Cajun and Creole cooking, jambalaya feeds an army, or at least all the relatives at a family gathering. Made with parboiled rice, it holds well on a buffet.
Most cooks start with a flavor base of sautéed aromatic vegetables such as onions, celery, green peppers and garlic. Pork fat from ham or andouille sausage is traditional and adds a layer of smoky complexity, but other fats can be used. Herbs and spices go into the pot—with a generous hand on the cayenne and black pepper—followed by tomatoes, although they are optional. Some cooks prefer a "brown" jambalaya made with a roux and no tomato.
Meats that take time to cook, such as chicken or duck, are braised in this flavorful foundation until tender. Then stock is added and brought to a boil, and the dish is ready for the rice. Some cooks finish the dish on top of the stove; others transfer it to the oven. Shrimp and oysters, if used, are added at the end so they don't overcook.
Watch Chef Lars Kronmark make a traditional Smoked Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya using U.S. long grain rice. Chef Lars Kronmark uses parboiled rice to produce a delicious jambalaya that holds well, too, so it's perfectly suited to foodservice needs.