Hi all. Getting back to normal life at the house the past few days. Work has felt like... I never left...... gotta stay away longer next time.
For those who asked, I've posted the jambalaya recipe below. It's not a family secret or anything; found it on the internet, cooked up in a big pot with lots of POA love... and a few modifications
This recipe is for a single batch; I made a double batch at OSH. Enjoy, Leslie
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Camp Scholler Dinner Jambalaya (original source: Food Network, "Emeril's Kicked-Up Jambalaya" with a few switches)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Creole seasoning, recipe follows
- 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 6 cups water
- 2 cups rice
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
Directions
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat. Season
shrimp with Creole seasoning and saute until almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove shrimp and set aside until later.
Season
chicken pieces with Creole seasoning. Add remaining
olive oil to
Dutch oven and when hot, add chicken pieces and saute until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add sausage and cook until browned. Add onion,
celery,
bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, cayenne and thyme and cook until vegetables are wilted, about 6 minutes. Add
tomatoes and water and return chicken pieces to pot. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Add rice to pot, stir well and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
Add shrimp, green onions and
parsley to Dutch oven, mixing carefully, and continue to cook, covered, for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Leslie's tips and switches:
Andouille, Andouille, Andouille - absolutely got to find the good stuff, a key quality ingredient. I have one source that helps me in a bind, they are my heroes. If traveling, you can freeze the links, place them at the bottom of the cooler with ice, etc. on top, they'll keep fine for a few days that way and still be firm enough to slice up when you're ready.
Instead of a whole chicken, substituted about 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken - I use an even mix of boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs.
Substituted no sodium chicken stock for water - richer flavor, and I'm guessing few of you even missed the salt.....
I use Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning when traveling - coat both the chicken and shrimp well with it before cooking them up, and don't be too shy about it. And add some in the pot while it's cooking too, in stages - got to sample, stop adding when it 'tastes right' to you. And for the salt fans, don't worry - this is where it comes back in; using the no-sodium stock keeps it from getting too loaded down.
If folks are interested in the chili recipe, let me know - that one, I do blend my own 'brand X' chili powder that's layers of flavor and some heat, but absolutely salt-free....