Cajun jambalaya

Name: Cajun jambalaya
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 500 g chicken thighs, boneless, cut into 3cm pieces; 300 g andouille sausage (or smoked kielbasa), sliced into rounds; 4 stalks celery, finely diced; 1 large onion, finely diced; 1 green bell pepper, finely diced; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 400 g long-grain white rice (such as American long-grain); 800 ml chicken stock; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 1.5 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp dried thyme; 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper; 0.5 tsp garlic powder; 0.5 tsp onion powder; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp salt; 2 bay leaves; 3 stalks spring onions (spring onions), sliced, to garnish; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish

Louisiana's one-pot rice dish: smoky sausage, chicken, and the Holy Trinity cooked together

Origin: Louisiana, United States

From the journey of Rice.

Jambalaya is the second great pillar of Louisiana cuisine alongside gumbo, a one-pot rice dish in which everything cooks together: sausage, chicken, the Holy Trinity of celery, onion, and green pepper, tomatoes (in Creole style), and long-grain rice that absorbs the deeply flavoured cooking liquid and turns smoky, savoury, and intensely coloured. The dish's origins are disputed but the most compelling theory connects it to the Spanish-Creole paella brought to Louisiana during the period of Spanish rule (1769–1803), which merged with French and West African cooking traditions to become something distinctly its own. The name may derive from the Spanish jamón (ham) combined with the West African ya (rice), or from the French jambon (ham), the dish has always been a product of cultural collision. Cajun jambalaya differs from Creole: Cajun (originating in rural Louisiana) uses no tomatoes and produces a distinctive brown, smoky rice; Creole (originating in New Orleans) uses tomatoes and is richer and redder. Both depend utterly on the Holy Trinity and on the deeply flavoured stock that develops from the combined cooking of meat, vegetables, and rice. Celery's sharpness is what keeps jambalaya from becoming cloying: it provides the aromatic counterweight to the richness of andouille and the starchiness of the rice.

Ingredients

Protein

500 g chicken thighs, boneless, cut into 3cm pieces
300 g andouille sausage (or smoked kielbasa), sliced into rounds

Holy Trinity

4 stalks celery, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced

Aromatics

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves

Rice

400 g long-grain white rice (such as American long-grain)

Liquid

800 ml chicken stock

Fat

2 tbsp neutral oil

Spice

1.5 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
0.5 tsp garlic powder
0.5 tsp onion powder
0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Seasoning

1 tsp salt

Garnish

3 stalks spring onions (spring onions), sliced, to garnish
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish

Method

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron is ideal) over high heat. Brown the chicken in batches, then remove and set aside.
In the same pot, add the sausage and brown for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the Holy Trinity (celery, onion, and green pepper) to the pot with the remaining oil. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. The vegetables should soften and the browned bits from the meat should incorporate into the vegetables.
Add the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir for 1 minute.
Return the chicken and sausage to the pot. Add the rice and stir to coat in the fat and spices.
Pour in the stock. Add the bay leaves and salt. Stir once to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest simmer. Cover tightly and cook for 20–25 minutes without lifting the lid, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
When the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked, fluff gently with a fork. Discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve directly from the pot, scattered with spring onion and parsley.

Notes

Cajun-style (no tomatoes, brown jambalaya) is made by caramelising the onions and Holy Trinity more deeply before adding the liquid (the brown colour comes from the caramelised vegetables, not tomato. Creole-style adds a tin of crushed tomatoes with the stock for a redder, richer result. Both are correct. Jambalaya is forgiving of variation: shrimp added in the last 5 minutes of cooking, or a mix of proteins, works well. The dish does not reheat as gracefully as gumbo) the rice can become dry. Add a splash of stock when reheating and heat gently, covered.

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control