[doodad]

Here is my jambalaya. Cajun by way of the SC low country and tweeked a bit by me.

Critchfield Jambalaya

1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 large (32 oz at least) can crushed tomatoes
1 or 2 chopped hot peppers (your call on how hot a pepper and how much)
½ cup chopped parsley
2 cup or so chicken stock

1 cup chopped andouille sausage or ham or tasso
1lb chopped chicken
1 lb whole and peeled shrimp

Worcestershire sauce
soy sauce
hot sauce
rice

Sauté the vegetables until soft in a large pot that will be the finished cooking vessel. Deglaze with a bit of the stock and add the tomatoes. Keep a pinch or two of parsley for each serving to top and add the rest to the pot. Add more of stock and or water so that it is a bit thinner than you would want. Simmer on a back burner for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, brown the sausage and remove. Brown the chicken in the sausage pan and remove. Deglaze the pan with a little stock and add the meats (except shrimp) and deglazed elements to the tomato mix. Stir and simmer until desired thickness, about a half hour. Should be chili thick, but not your Mom’s idea of chili, i.e. no Skyline gravy. Add a half tsp of soy, a tbsp of Worcestershire and Tabasco to taste. Adjust as needed, but no more soy. It skews the flavor too much.

Now as for rice, there are three ways to think about it. You can add water to the stew in an amount 1.5 the amount of rice and a tad more, bring to boil, cover and cook 35 minutes before checking. This is the most risky.

Next, you could make a risotto with the stew as your liquid being added to the rice. Second easiest, but easy to make gummy if not careful. You know how to make risotto though.

Easiest is to make rice on the side and add to pot as desired.

Once rice is incorporated, no matter how, add the shrimp on the top of the contents, cover and cook about five minutes until shrimp are done. Give it a good stir.

Serve in bowl, sprinkle of parsley and extra hot sauce on the side and French bread.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

[SAJ]

Sounds very good -- kind of similar, but enough difference to be well worth a try.

I asked Louis once why he didn't use whole tomatos and why he was sparing with the tomato sauce. His reply, rendered as accurately as possible, "De shrimp are no' fond of de acid".

Also, I made a typo in the recipe. Should read: 1-2 tsp ground cumin. Me, I love cumin, so the more the better, but 2 tsps might be overkill for some folks, esp. Yankees...    ;^)

[prisoner6]

Can you give me an idea how much this makes? I make my own jambalaya but mostly for block parties or family gatherings. It's prepared in the LARGE pot outdoors on a turkey fryer so yes, it makes A LOT!

Mrs p6 often doesn't want me to cook because she claims I can only cook for large crowds.

Think deep fried turkey or Burgoo.

In any case at the moment it would be just her and me and our youngest son so figure at least 4 people. Youngest son can eat for ....several.

It will also be my first attempt at using shrimp because I am not that crazy about seafood although I do eat it from time to time.

[prisoner6]

I should have added my instinct is to basically double the recipe. We like leftovers.