Fluffy rice spiced with Cajun herbs and spices. Smoked sausage, shredded chicken, honey ham, smoked strip bass and barbecue shrimp plus a trinity of celery, onions, okra, tomatoes and garlic.

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I love jambalaya! It was probably my favorite dish as a kid. The seasoned rice the crispy vegetables and the medley of different types of meats . What could be better! To start off jambalaya is a typical rice dish similar to rice pilaf or paella . It starts off with the Cajun trinity which is celery, onions, bell pepper, garlic and bay leaves. Then you take whatever meat you have on hand. For this one I used everything from after the holidays so that included honey ham, a sausage link, pulled chicken and some smoked seafood that you can get the recipe for right here. Then you season it to your spice preference and we prefer it hot! Jambalaya is true southern comfort Try it out on your next cold night or if you’re just trying to clean out the refrigerator. Check out my tips and tricks below for the best Cajun jambalaya. Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!

TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST CAJUN JAMBALYA:

season, season, season: for jambalaya seasoning is key! if can make or break the dish and although you can touch up and season after its really not the same. the rice needs time to bloom in the mellowed herbs and spices as it cooks. the spices also help with the color of the dish. so be generous with anything red that includes paprika, Cajun seasoning, cayenne and even hot sauce.

hard sear on everything: when i make jambalaya i like to really brown the meats and the veg to get some color on it and I’m talking really brown it. that way by the time the water is added and everything finishes boiling you still have some color left and have a beautiful end product.

the perfect rice: rice is absolutely the key to jambalaya. mushy rice and it just feels wrong and crunchy rice you feel like more annoyed than anything. since it can take some time and prep to make this dish. So for my fool proof rice i like to boil it for 8 minutes uncovered on high that way every grain gets contact and you don’t have that top layer of uncooked rice and then 15 minutes on low just to steam the rest of the rice.

cooked seafood last: i’ll always recommend cooking your seafood ahead of time and then placing on top your finished dish. because then you have everything perfectly cook and you just rely on residual heat to warm everything up.

clean your okra: its important that your dish doesn’t turn out gummy or slimy. so toss your sliced okra in a teaspoon of salt and 1-2Tb of white vinegar let it sit for a couple minutes to surface the okra slime and rinse under slightly warm water.

SIMILAR INGREDIENTS TO:

1. GRILLED SHRIMP W/ CAJUN BUTTER
2. CAJUN JAMBALAYA
3. CAJUN CHICKEN WINGS IN HOT BUTTER

ENJOY THIS RECIPE WITH:

1. SHRIMP AND CHICKEN ETOUFFEE
2. SOURDOUGH STUFFED BLACKENED SALMON W/ CRAWFISH MUSHROOM SAUCE
3. HONEY BOURBON LEMON WINGS

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb Sausage, sliced
• 2c Thick Sliced Honey Ham, cooked
• 1c Shredded Chicken, cooked
• 1lb Grilled Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8oz Smoked Bass, cooked
• 2 Celery Stalks, diced
• 10 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Large Onion, diced
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 1 Bell Peppers, diced
• 3 Tomates, minced
• 1c Fresh Okra, sliced- cleaned using method under tips and tricks
• 1Tb Gumbo file
• 2-3TB Creole Seasoning
• 1tsp Black Pepper
• 1tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1-2 Tb Hot Sauce
• 1tsp Fresh Thyme
• 1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary
• 1tsp Coriander
• 1Tb Garlic Powder
• 1Tb Onion Powder
• 1Tb Paprika
• 2c White Rice
• 4c Chicken Stock

DIRECTIONS

• BROWN MEAT: Start off by browning all protein except for seafood. Make sure it has nice color on it before adding the vegetables.
• ADD VEG: Add vegetables directly in with the meats except for the tomatoes. Sautee till the develop a nice brown color.
• ADD RICE: Add in rice so it can start to coat in the fat and liquid from the vegetables.
• ADD IN LIQUID: Add in chicken stock, hot sauce and tomatoes then start to boil for 8 minutes uncovered on high at that time start to season the dish.
• ADD IN SEASONING: Season with paprika, thyme, coriander, creole seasoning, rosemary, garlic and onion powder.
• COVER: Once 8 minutes are up reduce to simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
• FLUFF AND TOP: Once dish is done fluff the rice and adjust seasonings. Top with smoked fish, green onions, parsley and grilled shrimp. Cover for 5 minutes to warm up the seafood and serve.