BLACK-EYED PEA JAMBALAYA

BLACK-EYED PEA JAMBALAYA

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound smoked sausage, cubed

8 ounces andouille, cubed

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 15 ounce cans black-eyed peas

2 cups beef broth

2 cups long-grain rice

1/4 cup shallots, chopped

1/2 cup flat parsley, chopped

Bay leaf

Drop or two crab boil

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning of choice

In a large rice cooker, combine vegetable oil, smoked sausage, andouille, onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Mix well.  Add peas, broth, and rice. Stir thoroughly.  Add shallots, parsley, bay leaf, crab boil, and Creole seasoning.  Mix well, and cover rice cooker.  Set controls to ‘cook’.  Once rice cooker chimes and controls go to ‘warm’, allow to set for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, remove cover and fluff mixture with a fork.  When serving, may use chopped shallots and parsley as a garnish.

Sure to become a favorite!!!

Serves 8 to 10.

SAUSAGE, HAM, AND SHRIMP JAMBALAYA

Sausage, Ham and Shrimp Jambalaya

2 lbs. Ham
2 lbs. Smoked sausage in ½ inch pieces
2 lbs. Deveined shrimp
1 large Onion, chopped
5 toes garlic, finely chopped
1 16 oz. Can whole tomatoes
1 tsp. Thyme
2 Bay leaves
salt and pepper
2 cups Rice, uncooked
2 cups Shrimp stock or water
½ cup thinly sliced Green onions
½ cup Parsley, finely chopped

Brown sausage and ham in a thick skillet. Pour off excess drippings. Add onions, celery and garlic and saute till limp. Add shrimp stock or water, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil; mash tomatoes with a spoon as they are cooking. Add rice and shrimp. Stir once, cover and put heat on low. Do not stir again. Cook on low until rice is done, about 30 minutes. Lift rice with fork if it is sticking. If it’s not quite cooked, add about ½ cup more water. When rice is cooked tender, stir in parsley and thinly sliced shallots. 
Serves 10.

The key to a perfect jambalaya is to leave the dish covered while the rice is cooking. If you uncover the dish then you will lose your heat and steam, resulting in hard, uncooked rice.

PORK RIB JAMBALAYA

Pork Rib Jambalaya

This Country Style Jambalaya (as opposed to citified versions) does not contain tomato and is righteously good. Include a half pound of mushrooms if you like, put them in with the green onions and parsley, no need to cook ‘em to death.

1 package country style pork ribs cut in two inch pieces (about 3 pounds) or the equivalent in boneless pork, cubed
1 quart water or beef broth
2 medium onions chopped
6 cloves of garlic minced
1 large bell pepper chopped
1 cup each onion tops and parsley chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
a splash of Worcestershire sauce
3 cups long-grain rice
5 tbsp oil

Season meat with salt and pepper. In heavy saucepan or black pot, brown meat in oil.
Add onions, garlic, and saute until onions are caramelized, then add the . bell pepper, celery and last, garlic, saute vegetables till tender. One-half cup of shredded cabbage could be added to the vegetables as an option. Add water, and a splash of Worcestershire, and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer until meat is very tender, approximately one hour. Remove excess oil. Have enough broth to cook the rice in, if not enough add a little more water.
Add the washed rice, parsley and onion tops (green onions), mix together. Cover and cook until rice is done...about 20 to 30 minutes.

SAUSAGE AND SHRIMP JAMBALAYA

Sausage/Shrimp Jambalaya

1 pound pork bulk sausage (Hot Italian is good)
½ pound thick sliced bacon, cut into pieces
3 large onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
½ cup minced parsley
1 1/3 cups rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 pound shelled shrimp

Fry sausage and bacon, stirring frequently. Remove and drain all but 2 Tbsp. fat. Add onions and pepper; cook 8 to 10 minutes. Add parsley, bacon, sausage, garlic and seasonings and mix well. Place shrimp over mixture. Do not stir. Pour rice over shrimp. Add water to barely cover rice. Do not stir. Cover, bring to boil; reduce heat and cook 30 minutes. Remove cover, reduce heat and continue heating 15 minutes to dry jambalaya.

8 servings.

CRAWFISH JAMBALAYA

Crawfish Jambalaya
A Cajun Jambalaya...no tomatoes!

1 ½ cups diced ham
1 package frozen crawfish tail meat (it comes in 12 ounce or 16 ounce packages where I am, use the 1 pound package if you can but the 12-ounce will suffice.)
2 Tbsp. Oil
1 ½ Tbsp. Butter
2 large onions, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
2 cups rice
1 quart beef consumme (canned) or very strong beef or chicken broth
4 cups diced tomatoes
1 green pepper, chopped
Cayenne
½ cup sherry wine
1/4 cup dry red wine

Saute ham and crawfish meat in oil untl heated through. Add butter, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, pepper and rice. Saute until rice is brown. Add consumme, tomatoes, green pepper and cayenne. Carefully stir mixture; cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Add sherry and red wine. Do not stir. Cook 5 to 10 minutes to heat throughly. Remove bay leaves.
8 servings.