Big Fun on the Bayou Jambalaya Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Author Notes

There are endless variations to jambalaya... shrimp, crab, boudin, andouille, chicken, duck... heck, even alligator. One of the biggest variations is whether you make it "red", which is Creole style, by adding tomato, or brown, which is more Cajun, by simply using the stock. I prefer the red, but you can't go wrong either way. A critical step is to make sure you have appropriate music playing while you prepare the dish... i'd recommend Professor Longhair's "Rock & Roll Gumbo", but the Neville Brothers "Yellow Moon" would be fine as well. —saenyc

What You'll Need

Ingredients

• Jambalaya
• 1 poundboneless chicken thighs, diced
  
• 1 poundmedium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  
• 1.5 poundsandouille, sliced (can substitute smoked sausage if necessary)
  
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoonsgarlic, chopped
  
• 2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
  
• 1 28 oz can of tomatoes (diced)
  
• 8 cupsstock (i like to mix chicken and beef, but it's up to you)
  
• 3 tablespoonscreole seasoning (see below or use something like Tony Chachere's or Emeril's)
  
• 1 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
  
• 2-3 bay leaves
  
• 4 cupslong-grain white rice
  
• 2 tablespoonsfresh Italian parsley, minced
  

• Creole Seasoning
• 2 teaspoonscayenne pepper
  
• 1 teaspoonpaprika
  
• 1 teaspoonblack pepper
  
• 1 teaspoonwhite pepper
  
• 1 teaspoongarlic powder
  
• 1 teaspoononion powder
  
• 1 teaspoondried thyme