How to Cook Creole JAMBALAYA

Having Grown up in New Orleans, I would like to teach everyone how to Prepare Traditional Creole Jambalaya, not to be confused with Cajun Jambalaya. The difference is the tomatoes, Cajun tends to have none and be more beef flavored.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A six pack of Abita Amber Beer.
• 3 Large Green Bell Peppers
• 3 Large Yellow Onions
• 1 Bunch of Crisp Celery
• 1 Bunch of Green Onion
• 1 Bunch of Curly Parsley
• 1 whole Bulb of Garlic
• 3 cups of Rice(long Grain)important!
• 6 cups of Chicken stock
• 1 4oz can of Tomato Paste
• 1 8oz can of Tomato Sauce
• 3 TBLS of Worshtershire
• 2 lbs Large Diced Smoked Ham
• 2 lbs of 25 ct Shrimp
• 2 lbs of Andulle Smoked Sausage
• 2 TBLS Paprika(smoked if ya got it)
• 2 TBLS Garlic Powder
• 2 TBLS Onion Powder
• 2 tsp of Cumin
• 2 tsp Mustard Powder
• 5 Large Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp of Tabasco
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 to 2 TBLS Dried Basil
• 2 tsp of dried Tyme

1. Louisiana Brew, Trust me its Delicious Chill Abita Amber Beer. Find opener. Pour Amber in tall Pilsner type Glass. Enjoy a drink and a smoke, it will be about 45 minutes until you can leave the Kitchen.
2. Prepare your misanplace(if you can spell ,i can say it)a French word that means gather all you ingredients before turning on the Fire.
   Chop Veggie' s large, people like to see all the goodness ,and if you leave them in a large dice( about the size of casino dice) they will hold up during the cooking process.
   Peel the shrimp, remember that if you take your time here there is a lotta meat in the tip of the tail section that most people discard,whats the rush ,you have 5 beers left.
   Sausage, well lets just say that more then a mouth full makes for a great presentation, and there are always knives at most dinner tables, this holds true for the ham chunks as well.
3. Bacon Fat is Good.
   Holy Trinity...Onion-Celery-Bell Pepper(its a New Orleans thing)
   I like to start by layering the flavors, this is begun by Frying 2 slices of bacon until crisp, these keep the dog at bay while cooking the Jambalaya. Once the bacon pieces are removed from the pot, put the heat on med. high.
   To the bacon fat add, half the vegetables, a dash of salt and pepper and start stirring until the celery is soft ,the onions half carmalized and the bells are wilted.
   This is where i like to add the sausage, i like to brown with some of the veggies, for about 7 min. then add the rest of the veggie's including the garlic.
   Here i like to add a touch of the spices, ABOUT A THIRD, gathered and a pinch more of salt and pepper. This layering brings the ingredients to different levels of heat and therefore imparts either different levels of sweetness or bitterness.
   After about 4 min.,add the tomato Paste and reduce heat to simmer and keep stirring, this will bring out the natural sugars in the paste.
   After about 3.5 min add the tomato sauce, HAM and 1 cup of Chicken stock and stir until you get a consistency of Clam Chowder.
   This is the critical mass point of the dish.
4. The JAM in Jambalaya.
   Now you are ready to taste here for heat, ADD all the remaining spices except Cayenne and White pepper and Tabasco.
   Add the Worcestershire now, all of it, the chopped green onion and the Rice. raise the heat until the mixture Bubbles, about 1.5 min. then reduce to low, stirring constantly. Get ready for the grand finally here folks.
5. This is Easy.
   Add the shrimp, about 4 cups of chicken stock, and the remainder of the spices to taste,and the chopped parsley. Stir, Check the salt and black pepper levels to taste,and throw in the bay leaves, cover and turn heat down to the lowest setting you have. In about 45 minutes to an hour ,its ready to serve.
   What you want to do is never lift the lid before 45 min. and let the Jambalaya rest for at least 20 minutes before serving this will help steam the rice and make sure that the rice is nice and fluffy.
   
   
   
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6. The Table.
   I like to serve My Jambalaya With Blackened or Baked Red fish on the side with a nice crawfish Cardinal sauce and some New Orleans style ,buttered, toasted French Bread .MMMM
   Enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• Some Dried Herbs are stronger then others, if yours is weak smelling after rubbing, increase the amount to taste.
• Some palates cant take the Heat so watch the Cayenne and Tabasco, add half during the cooking process and add to taste the rest after the broth has been added.
• Remember that all the rice has to cook up so use a heavy bottomed, deep dish that will allow the ingredients to double in size.
• If you really want a try something,pan fry some loose breakfest sausage about a half pound ,drain and add to pot last before adding lid.It'll be worth it.
• Beware the meat pickers once the dish reaches the table, these are the folks that will help them selves only to the meat in the dish ,leaving only rice for the next days left-overs, which is a perfect Hangover Food.
• If you are of northern origins, remember that the spice mix will taste great going down, and remind you again the next day that you should of had some ice cream, if you know what i mean.