New Orleans Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya - Simplified
I have eaten many varieties of chicken and sausage jambalaya. The majority of them delish Now I have a simplified version that can be prepped cooked and ready in about an hour.
I have eaten many varieties of chicken and sausage jambalaya. The majority of them delish Now I have a simplified version that can be prepped cooked and ready in about an hour.
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 bag fajita chicken strips cut bite sized
- 1 lb smoked or andoullie sausage cut in 1/8 rounds
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 4 st chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 whole garlic bulb chopped fine
- 2 cans diced tomatoes i like the kind with celery and onion
- 2 tablespoons creole seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon bijole seasoning a cuban seasoning
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- Carbohydrate 21.6095996764352 g
- Cholesterol 380.1475 mg
- Fat 79.5991512345114 g
- Fiber 1.43705875542587 g
- Protein 93.8099916318917 g
- Saturated Fat 24.2718097262207 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (617g)
- Sodium 380.277272517701 mg
- Sugar 20.1725409210093 g
- Trans Fat 6.7054847612443 g
- Calories 1201 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large stew pot sauté the vegetable over medium heat until onions are translucent.
- Add the diced tomatoes, chicken, sausage, and all the seasoning.
- Cook for about 15 minutes, then leave on simmer (low) until the rice is cooked in the next step.
- Cook the rice according to package directions in the chicken broth. I like to use Bijol (A Cuban seasoning) to give the rice a nice yellow appearance. I use a rice cooker.
- When the rice is cooked, turn off the stew pot and fold the rice into the mixture in the stew pot until blended well and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to absorb the goodness.
- Adjust seasoning to taste fold the mixture one more time and serve with a nice green salad and French bread.
A steaming pot of jambalaya releases potent aromas of smoked sausage, garlic, and sweet bell pepper, coating long-grain rice in a robust, spiced broth. Separating the grain cooking process from the meat and vegetable stew prevents the starches from breaking down into a heavy paste. Traditional methods cook everything together, but simmering the rice separately in chicken broth guarantees individual grain integrity before folding it into the meat mixture.
The Role of Separate Cooking
Starch management dictates the final texture of any rice-based dish. Boiling two cups of long-grain rice independently in four cups of broth avoids scorching the bottom of the pot, a common hazard when proteins and tomatoes crowd the base over direct heat. Cooking the aromatics until onions turn translucent takes roughly eight to ten minutes over medium heat, releasing natural sugars that balance the acidity of two cans of diced tomatoes.
Fresh Versus Preserved Elements
Swapping fresh garlic bulbs and chopped onions for dehydrated equivalents alters both moisture content and pungency. Fresh vegetables contribute water weight that aids the initial sauté, whereas dried aromatics demand additional liquid absorption during the fifteen-minute simmer phase. Folding the cooked rice into the stew pot and resting the mixture for twenty minutes allows the starches to absorb remaining flavors without overcooking.
