You don't have to live in the southern U.S. to make a jambalaya. It is so easy to make and no matter where you live, you'll find it true comfort food.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
In a small bowl, add the shelled shrimp and ½ tsp. Creole seasoning. Toss to coat and set aside.
In a heavy skillet (large enough for all ingredients), heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Sauté’, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook for about 3 minutes.
After 15 minutes, spread the shrimp out on top of the rice. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add the parsley.
Shrimp - Our favorite shrimp is wild Gulf shrimp and recently we've been able to find it locally, quite often. Small or medium size shrimp can be left whole, but large or jumbo, should be cut into 2 to 3 pieces so that you can get a little piece of shrimp in every bite.
Creole Seasoning - A friend sends us a care package once a year from New Orleans with a variety of Louisiana seasonings; therefore, I always have creole seasoning on hand. Because there are so may different brands of creole seasoning, you could probably find one at your store. However, if you can't or want to make your own, Emerill's creole seasoning recipe is great!
Shrimp Stock - As you can see in the recipe, the shrimp stock is very easy to make; therefore, I highly recommend making it. However, chicken stock can be substituted.
White Rice - There is no substitute in jambalaya for white rice. It cooks fast, so you can cook it with the other ingredients which gives it lots of flavors. Brown rice would have to be cooked separately and just doesn't work IMO. I highly recommend Jasmine white rice.
Green Bell Pepper - The Holy Trinity of Louisiana cuisine is onion, celery and green bell pepper, but sometimes I don't have green bell pepper when I get a craving for jambalaya. Therefore, I use a red, yellow, or orange bell instead. They are a little sweeter than green, but work just fine.
Andouille Sausage - There is no substitute for andouille in a jambalaya, so if you can't find it locally, then order it online. It has become so popular that, if you have a butcher shop, you might be able to find it, so call around. If you love a spicy, smoked sausage, then you'll love andouille. NOTE: One of my readers said she has successful substituted Kielbasa for the andouille, so it's worth a try if you don't have andouille.
Feb 2018
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen