Nothing says lovin like some spicy Louisiana cooking.
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts medium dice
- 1 can substitute smoked sausage
- 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 teaspoons creole seasoning
- 1 medium green bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 5 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped, optional
- 4 stalks celery: chopped
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes 28 ounce
- 2 tablespoons louisiana style hot sauce or to taste
- 1 tablespoon gumbo file powder
- Carbohydrate 6.23086333396404 g
- Cholesterol 60.1783333333333 mg
- Fat 3.63700222137721 g
- Fiber 1.21914999747811 g
- Protein 9.80168166659533 g
- Saturated Fat 0.384046166584083 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (128g)
- Sodium 152.624500056133 mg
- Sugar 5.01171333648593 g
- Trans Fat 0.314620777760008 g
- Calories 96 calories
Step-by-step
- Season sausage, chicken and shrimp with a teaspoon of creole seasoning each.
- In a large heavy stock pot, heat 1 teaspoon oil and brown the sausage, about 7-8 minutes. remove it with a slotted spoon and set off to the side.
- Add another 1 tablespoon oil and cook chicken until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set to side with sauasage.
- Add another 1 tablespoon oil and saute' peppers, celery and onions until crisp tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes, chicken stock, sausage and chicken to pot, and season with hot sauce, Worchestershire sauce, file powder, bay leaves, salt, black and cayenne pepper, and if desired, additional creole seasoning. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- While simmering, saute' shrimp in saute' pan until pink, about 3-4 minutes (do not overcook shrimp).
- Add rice and shrimp to pot. Cook an additional 20-30 minutes on low heat to let juices permeate rice. Stir occaisioanlly to prevent sticking.
- Discard bay leaves, and serve.
Adding all the proteins to the pot at the exact same moment creates a rubbery mess of overcooked shrimp and dry, stringy chicken. Shellfish require very brief exposure to heat, typically cooking through in three to four minutes, while thick cuts of poultry and cured sausage demand proper browning to render fat and build foundational depth. Treating each component independently ensures every ingredient retains its optimal structure.
Searing the smoked sausage for seven to eight minutes renders out excess moisture and establishes a browned fond on the bottom of the heavy stockpot. Brown the cubed chicken breasts for roughly five minutes in the remaining rendered fat before withdrawing them to rest alongside the sausage. Sautéing the aromatic bell peppers, celery, and onions for ten minutes softens their cell walls without turning them to mush, creating a balanced base for the liquid additions.
Simmering the rice directly in the seasoned tomato and stock mixture for twenty to thirty minutes allows the grains to absorb the surrounding flavor compounds without blowing past al dente. Introduce the separately sautéed shrimp and cooked proteins during the final stages of rice hydration, folding them in gently so the delicate shellfish maintain their snap. Leaving the bay leaves to steep for too long imparts an overly medicinal bitterness, so discard them promptly before portioning.
Varying the vegetable components offers distinct structural adjustments throughout the cooking process. Incorporating five seeded jalapeño peppers adds localized heat without introducing excess water weight that could disrupt the starch-to-liquid ratio required for proper rice absorption.
