
This jambalaya recipe was inspired by my good friends, the Moores, who make the best Creole cooking I’ve ever tasted. My friend Phil’s family comes from New Orleans, and I have such wonderful memories of her cooking.
One of the key ingredients for this recipe is the gumbo file, which is ground sassafras tree leaves. The Indians used to use it. It adds to the flavor and also helps with the thickening.
I’m using chicken and andouille sausage as the main meats in this, but feel free to add a pound of shrimp to this recipe! If you like this kind of dish, you should also check out my seafood paella recipe!
Jambalaya Recipe
Recipe by Jason Hill – CookingSessions.comIngredients
- 1 tablespoon Tony’s creole seasoning
- 1 tsp. file powder
- 1 1/4 cups rice
- 1 tablespoon garlic-shallot puree or 3-4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 12 ounces andouille sausage
- 1 pound diced chicken
- 1 can organic diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease or oil
- Marie Sharp’s Habanero Hot Sauce or your favorite hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Place a large Dutch oven on your burner over medium high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon bacon drippings and melt down. Add diced chicken and stir to combine. Add 1 tb. Creole seasoning and stir to combine until chicken is browned.
- When chicken is cooked, add the sausage and stir well. After 10 minutes, remove the chicken and the sausage to a bowl.
- Add some more bacon drippings to the Dutch oven. Add the vegetables and saute until they are tender, but not mushy. Once onions are translucent, add the garlic shallot puree or minced garlic. Stir well.
- Next, add cracked pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir in the gumbo file, which is ground sassafras tree leaves. The Indians used to use it. It adds to the flavor and also helps with the thickening.
- Add the tomatoes, stir to combine. Return sausage and chicken to pot and stir. Cook another 10 minutes.
- Stir in the white rice and add the chicken stock. Add desired amount of hot sauce, followed by the Worcestershire sauce.
- After 1/2 hour of simmering the rice is cooked and liquid has cooked down. Serve and enjoy!