The name most likely derives from the French jambon (ham), the African ya (rice), with an à la tossed in to link the two primary ingredients, but as anyone who has visited New Orleans or Cajun country knows, everything from pork, sausage, chicken, crawfish, shrimp, and various vegetables and seasonings can show up in the dish. All Louisianans take their jambalaya very seriously, but none more so than the citizens of the Cajun town of Gonzales, where an official jambalaya cook-off takes place every year. In this particular recipe, feel free to use small fresh shrimp if crawfish are not available, as well as a half a cup or so of cooked ham, spicy dried sausage, or even leftover cubed chicken.
Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1⁄2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 pound crawfish tails (fresh or frozen)
- 11⁄2 cups chicken broth
- 11⁄2 cups bottled clam juice
- 1 large ripe tomato, chopped
- 2 scallions (green tops included), chopped
- 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
- 1 bay leaf
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Tabasco sauce to taste
- 11⁄2 cups regular long-grain rice
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a large pot, melt the butter over moderate heat, add the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper, and cook, stirring, till the vegetables are fully softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in all remaining ingredients except the rice, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer about 10 minutes. Return to a boil, add the rice, stir, reduce the heat again to low, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally from the bottom of the pot, till the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, 25 to 30 minutes. (If necessary, add a little more chicken broth to prevent the jambalaya from scorching or drying out too much.)
- Fluff the jambalaya with a fork and serve hot.
