It is very well known that I am a hard core Colts fan and Sunday was a brutal day for me.  Heck my dedication to the Colts even got my picture published in the local newspaper (click here to read the article).  However, for as bad as it was for a Colts fan it was a glorious day for a city that holds a dear place in my heart.  Heck if I could I would have been in the French Quarter for that game.

New Orleans is the my go to guy’s trip vacation city and many a weekends I have spent down there.  The details of my visits are sketchy and usually require all individuals were on the trip to piece together what really happened.  Also, all photographic evidence is burned damn near the second we are off the plane.  No freaking way those pictures are ever coming back to haunt us.

Jambalaya is one of my favorite dishes to get while in New Orleans along with crawfish etouffee, gumbo, red beans and rice, and who am I kidding I love everything creole/cajun cuisine can throw at me.  Heck I could not survive that town without an  every morning stop for jet fuel coffee and beniets from Cafe Du Mond.

Hats off and congratulations to New Orleans you guys definitely were the best team and proved it last Sunday.

For this recipe you will need:

  • 1 lb andouille sausage
  • 1.5 lb chicken cut into cubes (insert Homer Simpson drool over the thought of thighs)
  • 1 lb of raw shrimp (deveined and peeled).
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 can of tomatoes (15 ounce size)
  • 1 cup of rice
  • 1 onion medium dice
  • 1 celery stalk medium dice
  • 1 green pepper medium dice
  • 3 cloves of garlic finely diced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • Leaves from 4 stems of thyme
  • Cayenne pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon I find is dead on for good heat)
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • Bacon grease (lots and lots of bacon grease)

Steps to success:

  • In a cast iron dutch oven over medium-high heat melt the bacon grease and brown the andouille sausage.  Remove and set aside.
  • Add in the chicken and brown all over (remember do not crowd the pan or else you end up with steamed chicken).  Remove and set aside.
  • Add in the onion, green pepper, and celery and cook until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).
  • Add in the chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, bay leaves, pinch of cayenne, thyme, andouille, and chicken into the pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook till the rice is done (usually about 30 minutes).  Make sure you stir the pot occasionally.
  • Check the pot occasionally to make sure all the liquid did not evaporate.  If it seems dry add in a splash of stock or water.
  • Once the rice is done dump in the shrimp, cover, and wait 10 minutes.
  • Serve and enjoy!

jambalaya