Slow Cooker Jambalaya
When we go camping I precut pepper, onion, and celery then I dump the cut veggies into a ziplock along with all the spices Make and go enjoy a long hike
When we go camping I precut pepper, onion, and celery then I dump the cut veggies into a ziplock along with all the spices Make and go enjoy a long hike
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 2 lbs smoked sausage cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 2 -3 green peppers chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 2 onions chopped
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans tomatoes seasoned with basil
- 10 ounces tomato paste
- 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
- 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons tabasco sauce (optional)
- 2 lbs cooked shrimp shelled
- 6 cups brown rice cooked regular
- Carbohydrate 92.5073650719277 g
- Cholesterol 232.23929344 mg
- Fat 29.8753084880186 g
- Fiber 5.7812605235228 g
- Protein 39.8698454967717 g
- Saturated Fat 9.36235279658102 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (352g)
- Sodium 1202.45899423252 mg
- Sugar 86.7261045484049 g
- Trans Fat 4.17638401772042 g
- Calories 806 calories
Step-by-step
- Add all ingredients except shrimp and rice in 6 or 7 quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Add shrimp and rice the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Extended simmering transforms raw aromatics and cured meats into a unified flavor base through fat rendering and moisture extraction. Tomatoes contribute natural glutamates and malic acid, which break down connective tissues in the sausage while softening the fibrous walls of celery, onions, and bell peppers. Cayenne pepper and hot sauce deliver capsaicin, a heat compound that binds to lipid molecules distributed evenly throughout the broth by the rendering sausage fat. Timing governs texture completely in this slow cooker method. Adding fragile proteins like cooked shrimp too early denatures their myosin structures excessively, turning them rubbery within two hours. Rice behaves similarly; introducing precooked brown grains only during the final thirty minutes prevents the starch granules from rupturing and dissolving into an undesirable porridge.
Managing Moisture and Rice Starches
Brown rice contains an intact outer bran layer that shields internal amylose starches from immediate gelatinization. Cooking the aromatic base and meats separately from the grains for eight hours concentrates the liquid via evaporation, dropping the free water volume significantly. Stirring the rice in at the thirty-minute mark allows the grains to absorb precisely enough seasoned broth to swell without disintegrating. Maintain a 6-quart or 7-quart slow cooker capacity to ensure adequate steam circulation under the lid.
- Shrimp shrivels and toughens if exposed to moist heat exceeding 145 degrees Fahrenheit for more than forty-five minutes.
- Brown rice can be substituted with white long-grain rice at a 1:1 ratio during the final fifteen minutes if a softer texture is preferred.
- Dried herbs like basil and oregano require extended simmering time to hydrate and release volatile oils into the surrounding liquid.
