Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

2012-09-27
  • Servings : 8
  • Prep Time : 20m
  • Cook Time : 50m
  • Ready In : 1:10 h
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Nutritional Info

This information is per serving.

  • Calories

    240
  • Calories From Fat

    45
  • Total Fat

    5g
  • Saturated Fat

    2g
  • Trans Fat

    0g
  • Cholesterol

    55mg
  • Sodium

    500-750mg
  • Carbohydrates

    26g
  • Dietary Fiber

    5g
  • Sugar

    5g
  • Protein

    20g
  • Serving Size

    9 oz. (250g)

Jambalaya is a one-pan Cajun rice recipe similar to Spanish Paella. It is a blend of the Old World and New World. Most of the prep time, like many Asian recipes, is cutting and chopping the meat and vegetables.

There are thousands of jambalaya recipes. Like most rustic cuisines, jambalaya ingredients can down to local availability. Sound familiar?

You can make dozens of variation of jambalaya by adding, subtracting, and substituting ingredients. There is no right or wrong. Make adjustments to your taste.

Cajun cooking can be spicy and uneatable by some people. The heat comes from ground cayenne pepper and hot sauce (Tobasco®). While I consider this Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya recipe medium to mildly hot you can easily adjust the amount of cayenne pepper and jot sauce to your taste. Also keep in mind that the heat intensity of cayenne pepper varies from 30,000 to 190,000 Scoville Units. So your cayenne pepper can be milder or hotter than mine.

If you are concerned about making your jambalaya too hot, use half the amount of cayenne and hot sauce or less and go from there. You can always add more cayenne pepper and hot sauce.

For a lighter colored jambalaya increase the amount of rice from 1 to 1.5 cups. This also increases the number of servings to nine or ten.

Substitutions

Jambalaya is traditionally made using white rice. But, you can be substitute brown rice for increased fiber. Because jambalaya is spicy, using brown rice does not alter the flavor. Using brown rice increases cooking time to 40 minutes or more.

 

Brown Rice Chicken And Shrimp Jambalaya

 

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
  • 1 cup (250 g) smoked ham (optional)
  • 8 oz. (225 g) Andouille or kielbasa sausage
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 green, red, or yellow bell pepper
  • 2 to 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 lb. (450 g) chicken breast, cubed
  • 14.5 oz. (411 g) canned low sodium diced tomatoes or 2-3 fresh tomatoes chopped
  • 8 oz. (225 g) tomato sauce
  • 2 to 3 cups (400-700 ml) low sodium chicken broth or stock
  • 1 cup (170 g) uncooked log grain brown or white rice
  • 1/2 lb (225 g) cooked or raw shrimp, scallops, crab or lobster
  • Seasoning Mix
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) white pepper
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp (2.5-5 ml) cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh or dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) dried oregano

Method of Preparation

Step 1

Combine the seasonings in a small bowl adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper to taste.

Step 2

In a heavy sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ham and sausage and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 3

Add the onions, celery and bell peppers and sauté about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender stirring occasionally and scrapping the pan bottom if necessary.

Step 4

Add the chicken and cook, stirring one minute.

Step 5

Add the seasoning mix and then the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook about 10 minutes stirring often.

Step 6

Add the chicken stock and raise heat to high. Bring to boil. Add the rice, reduce heat and simmer 20 to 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Stirring occasionally if necessary to prevent rice from sticking to the pan.

Step 7

Cool 10 to 15 minutes and serve.