Everything Jambalaya

Everything, but the kitchen sink.  Yeah, that's about it.  Bacon, pork sausage, smoked sausage, chicken, and shrimp are all in there.  This makes a big gumbo pot full, so invite the family and friends over.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. of chopped onions
• 1 C. of chopped bell pepper
• 1 C. of chopped celery
• 6 cloves of mined garlic
• ½ lb. of bacon
• 1 lb. of fresh pork sausage, squeezed out of the casing
• 3 lbs. of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 lb. of smoked sausage cut into semi circles
• 1 can of Rotel
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes (3 ½ C.)
• 6 C. shrimp stock or chicken stock
• ½ C. of Louisiana or Crystal Hot Sauce
• 1 T. of salt
• ½  C. flour
• 5 C. parboiled rice

Directions:

1. Cut bacon into thin small strips
2. In cast iron pot, fry the bacon until crisp and remove
3. Add the pork sausage in crumbles and cook about 5 minutes and remove
4. Make a roux with the bacon and sausage drippings and flour over medium high heat until the color of dark peanut butter
5. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until soft, about 10 minutes
6. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
7. Add Rotel and crushed tomatoes then transfer to a gumbo pot
8. Add chicken or shrimp stock, smoked sausage, bacon, pork sausage, salt, and hot sauce
9. Bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes
10. While cooking cut chicken into 1 inch chunks
11. Add chicken and cook for 15 minutes
12. Add rice and cook for 15 minutes on low heat
13. Add shrimp and make sure they are all covered by the rice
14. Cook for an additional 15 minutes
15. Serve hot!

Tips and Tricks:

·     You can make shrimp or chicken stock.  It is easy!  Follow my link to find out how I make mine.

·      If you don’t have a cast iron pot you can make a roux in a heavy bottomed pot instead.  The trick is to stir constantly.  You can NOT multi-task during this step.  This is where the base of flavor for your jambalaya comes.  Be diligent, it takes about 15 minutes to make a roux the color you need.

·        I use Bryan Cajun Smoke Sausage. 

·        ½ C. of hot sauce might have you scared.  Don’t be!  The sausage, chicken, shrimp, and rice all absorb the hot sauce and give this jambalaya a great flavor.  It is spicy, but not tongue numbing.

·        This freezes well.