Jambalaya

Jambalaya is traditionally made in one pot, with meats and vegetables, and completed by adding rice. There are two primary methods of making jambalaya.

The first and most common is to cook the meat(s) or sausage (such as Andouille or chorizo), then add vegetables and tomatoes to cook, then add seafood, adding rice and stock in equal proportions at the very end. This is known as "Red Jambalaya."

The secondary method is to cook all ingredients separately from the rice, adding rice cooked in a savory stock, then blending the ingredients to serve. This is called "White Jambalaya."

As well, there are two additional variations of styles of jambalaya, differentiated by the addition or deletion of tomatoes. The traditional northern recipe variation omits tomatoes.

Jambalaya is considered somewhat similar to, or replacement for a simple-to-prepare, yet filling casserole by most Louisianans, while gumbos, étouffées and creoles are considered dishes more difficult to perfect.

Most usually, a long grain white rice is used in making jambalaya, which is mixed with the vegetables and meat, with numerous variations upon that central theme.

Jambalaya is differentiated from other traditional ethnic Louisiana dishes such as gumbo, étouffée, and creoles by the way in which the rice is included. In the latter dishes, the rice is cooked separatedly and is served as a bed upon which the main dish is presented. In the usual method for preparing Jambalaya, a rich stock is created from vegetables, meat, and seafood. Raw rice is then added to the broth and the flavor is aborbed by the grains as the rice cooks.

Soul food and Creole cuisine is considered the culinary legacy of poor Negroes in Louisiana.

History

The first printed reference to "jambalaya" occurred in 1872, and the 1900 edition of "The Picayune's Creole Cook Book" called it a "Spanish-Creole dish." Jambalaya is also very similar to the Spanish dish Paella.

The origin of the name "jambalaya" is uncertain, and there are many theories surrounding its etymology. Prominent among them is the combination of the French "jambon" meaning ham, the French article "à la" meaning "in the style of" and "ya", thought by some to be of West African origin meaning rice, though "ya-ya" is also an old Creole patois phase meaning "everybody's talking at once."

The Dictionary of American Food and Drink offers this colorfully creative, yet unverified explanation on the origin of the word "jambalaya": Late one evening a traveling gentleman stopped by a New Orleans inn which had no food remaining from the evening meal. The inn's owner instructed Jean, the cook, to "balayez" or "mix some things together" in the local dialect. The guest pronounced the resulting hodge-podge dish as "Jean Balayez."

Gonzales, Louisiana is the self-proclaimed Jambalaya Capital of the World. Every Spring, the annual Jambalaya Festival is held in Gonzales.

Jambalaya is also used as a main dish in many MRE's (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) for the military.

Recipes

Creole Jambalaya

• Serves 10 (4 oz. Portions)
• 1 lb. Pork (diced)
• 1/2 lb. Shrimp
• 1/2 lb. Crawfish
• 1 lb. Chicken Breast (cut in finger slices)
• 1 ear Whole Corn (cut in 1/2 inch wheels)
• 1 cup Sliced Onion (yellow or white)
• 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper (sliced)
• 1/4 cup Celery (sliced)
• 1 cup Tomato Sauce or V-8
• 1 tbsp. Table Salt
• 1/2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 tbsp. Paprika
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 cups Long Grain Rice
• 1/4 cup Green Onions
• 4 cups Chicken Stock

Cajun Jambalaya

• Serves 20 (10 oz. Portions)
• 4 cups Rice
• 1 cup Onion (french cut)
• 1 oz. Green Bell Pepper (julienne)
• 1 oz. Red Bell Pepper (julienne)
• 2 oz. Green Onions
• 1 oz. Vegetable Oil
• 2 lb. Andouille Sausage
• 2 lb. Boneless Chicken Thigh Meat
• 1 lb. Boston Pork (diced, or ham chopped)
• 2 tbsp. Salt
• 1 tbsp. Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp. Garlic (granulated)
• 1 tbsp. Onion (granulated)
• 2 qts. Beef Stock
• 1/2 lb. Tasso
• 1 tsp. Cayenne
• 2 lb. Crawfish Tails (Louisiana with fat)
• 2 cups Corn (whole kernel)

Culinary Tip: As a side dish the yield may be 40 servings (5 oz. portions). However, Jambalaya is commonly served as a one pot main dish. If any other than Louisiana Crawfish are used, e.g. Chinese, they must be washed several times to remove the excess fat which tends to be fishy tasting. Louisiana crawfish do not taste fishy.

External links

• [Jambalaya recipes from RealCajunRecipes.com]
• [Jambalaya recipes]
• [Article detailing how to make jambalaya for 120 people]
• [Jambalaya discussion and sourcing ingredients at eGullet.org]
• [history of Jambalaya & recipes.]
• [Culinary Institute of New Orleans]

See also

Similar dishes:

• Paella
• Rice and peas

Other popular Southern - Louisiana dishes:

• Gumbo
• Red Beans and Rice
• Grits
• Étouffée
• King Cake
• pralines
• Okra And Ham Pilau
• Dirty Rice
• Beignets
• Corn bread
• Pecan Pie
• Calas
• Po' boy
• Fritters

 

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