Cajun Tradition...pork, chicken and andouille sausage cooked with the Trinity and wonderful Cajun seasoning and spices as uncooked rice slowly absorbed all that Cajun goodness.
Estimated Time 1 hourhour50 minutesminutes
Servings 25Servings
Here's What You Need
4tablespoonsbacon grease - or about three slices of bacon
1poundpork - shoulder or boneless ribs
1poundAndouille Sausage - sliced in medallions
½poundboneless skinless chicken breasts - diced
½ poundboneless skinless chicken thighs - diced
3cupsYellow Onions - chopped
1cupgreen onions - chopped
1 to 1 ½cupsgreen bell peppers - chopped
½ to 1 cupCelery - chopped
5 or 6clovesgarlic - minced
3 to 4tablespoonsparsley - choppped
7cupsChicken Stock - plus a little more in reserve
Prepare all your ingredients and set aside in their own small bowls: Cube all your meats; chop the veggies-you want about 5 to 6 cups all together; chop your garlic.
Mix the herb and spice blend (except the salt which you should add separately) in a bowl; set aside.
In a cast-iron Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lid, melt the bacon grease over medium heat. Brown the sausage for 10 to 15 minutes, carefully scraping the brown sticky bits off the bottom as it cooks.
After about 20 minutes add the pork; brown with the sausage for about 15 minutes. Continue to scrap the bottom of the pan. Render as much of the fat as possible.
Add the chicken to the pork and sausage in the Dutch oven. Turn up the heat just a bit as the chicken will start to lose its water. Keep stirring. After 10 to 15 minutes you should have a nice batch of browned meat and some grease in the pot.
Add the Trinity (yellow onions, bell peppers and celery) to the Dutch oven with the meat; stir until they are mixed well with the meats. Brown for about 15 minutes, stirring as needed not to let them scorch on the bottom of the pan. You want them to cook down and begin to caramelize.
After about 15 minutes add the garlic and stir until aromatic-about 2 minutes or so. Add about half of the Herb and Spice Blend and some kosher salt, stir it up good.
Now you will add the stock. Start with just about a cup or so at first and use it to deglaze the bottom. Add the parsley and about half the remaining Herb and Spice Blend-save a little to add at the end if you think you need it. Now add the remaining stock and bring to a steady simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
After 15 minutes add the rice, stir together and return to a full boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot tightly and cook on low for a total of 30 minutes. Do not uncover the pot except one time-at the 15 minute mark to stir the jambalaya completely-scrapping off the bottom so it does not scorch; replace the lid to cover tightly.
After 30 minutes (15 minutes after you stirred) taste it-it’s done if the rice is cooked. If all of the stock has not been absorbed, cook it a little more uncovered; if all the stock has been absorbed but it’s not quite cooked, add a little of the stock you reserved and cook it covered another 5 minutes or so. Keep checking like this and it will be done.
Notes
This is a Classic Jambalaya because it’s the basic pork, sausage and chicken in the cajun style. Other meats and veggies can be used but its best if most of your meat has a relatively high fat content. The quantities don’t have to be exact but should be somewhat proportional but make sure to use the ratio of 1.75 to 1 (stock to rice). A flavorful and nicely colored Cajun Jambalaya is the result of the process. It does not take an extremely long time to cook a good jambalaya, but it must not be rushed. The step of browning and rendering of each meat, in a progression of fattiest to leanest, lays the foundation for the rich flavor and color you are looking for. Slowly caramelizing the trinity in the meats develop even more flavor. Two important things about the rice: DO NOT uncover the pot once you get the rice simmering except to stir it ONCE and be careful not to overcook it.The recipe can be cut in half or doubled easily.A heavy cast iron Dutch oven is best, but all you need is a pot big enough to hold all the ingredients with a heavy lid. Getting all your ingredients prepped and together before you start will make this process much easier.