Jambalaya is a staple of the 225 Club’s tailgate diet. We have
our own favorite, but jambalayas are like snowflakes: No two are the same, but each one is beautiful.
When we asked our friends at
Louisiana Cookin' for a down-home jambalaya recipe, they sent us this one from popular cookbook author Marcelle Bienvenu. Try it next to our jambalaya and see what you think. Or, better yet, have your jambalaya with some crawfish pie and
filé gumbo.
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
- 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and julienned
- 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 pound cubed boiled ham
- 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed with the can juices
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Salt and cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
- Hot sauce
Heat the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until they are soft and lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the shrimp and ham. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Add the bay leaves and the rice. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve. Pass the hot sauce!
Serves 4 to 6.
