GUMBO SHOP JAMBALAYA

The Gumbo Shop in New Orleans makes us do weird things. Maybe it is all the Voodoo about but there is something that makes us go a little nuts when we dine there. The first time, well we can't tell you the entire story, but it ended with us asking the table next to us giving us there bread pudding since it came with their dinner and they didn't want it. (And they did!) Yeah, that kind of crazy. This time around, it had to do with the jambalaya. The Gumbo Shop's jambalaya is unlike any we have tasted before. It comes out in two big scoops rather than risotto like nature of most recipes. It is chalked full of chicken and it almost brown in color versus the traditional red. Whatever they do, we couldn't a) stop eating it until we licked the plate and b) couldn't stop talking about it for the rest of the trip. So what did we do when we got home? We went online and found the recipe. We almost nailed it on the first try but it was a little "runny." After we let it sit over night, however, it was perfect. The Voodoo is strong at the Gumbo Shop. And we just can't get enough.

Jambalaya Gumbo Shop Style

1-2 cans, cooked chicken, drained (reserve liquid)
1/2 lb turkey sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tsp minced garlic
1 16-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 tsp pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup long grain white rice
1 ½ cups chicken stock

In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the sausage in the oil or cooking spray until it’s lightly browned. Remove the sausage from the pot and set it aside. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper to the pot and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, and then add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot. Stir in the rice and mix well, and then add 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock from the drained cans plus whatever more you need from a box. Bring the pot to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Stir in the chicken and the sausage, partially cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes; stirring occasionally until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Completely cover the pot, turn off the heat and move the pot to a cooler part of the stove. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, and then it’s ready to eat!

Yields 6-8 servings