How to Gather Jambalaya Ingredients

Jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish that combines elements of the region's Spanish, French and African heritage. Even the name combines cultures--"jambon" is French for ham and "ya" is African for rice. The hearty and spicy one-dish meal is a Louisiana favorite, but can be replicated all over the country. The ingredients are mostly things that can be picked up in your local grocery or produce market.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Shop for the meat and seafood. Ingredients for jambalaya include a combination of meat, poultry and seafood. Shop for ham, chicken, shrimp and smoked sausages, such as the Cajun andouille sausage. If you can't find andouille sausage at your market, several online retailers, such as igourmet.com, carry it (see Resources below).

2. Pick out the produce. Fresh produce is essential to a tasty jambalaya. Visit your green grocer for garlic, tomatoes, onion, celery, scallions and bell peppers.

3. Grab the spices. Jambalaya is traditionally spicy, but you can add more or fewer spices according to your taste. Essential are bay leaves, cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme. Except for the cayenne, fresh herbs are preferable to dried.

4. Add the other ingredients. In addition to meats, seafood, produce and spices, you'll need water, rice and chicken stock for your jambalaya. If you have the time, make the chicken stock yourself by boiling chicken parts with onion, celery, carrots and garlic and allowing it to simmer for about four hours.

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Resources

• Shop for Andouille sausage and other ingredients at igourmet.com.