Since we moved to Miami three years ago, jambalaya has become our little Mardis Gras dinner tradition. Easy and fast enough to prepare on a weeknight, you get a big pot of cajun flavor without having to fuss over a roux. This year I added bits of smokey tasso ham to my regular combination of venison sausage (thanks Dad!) and shrimp. Plus, a good portion of my veggies—celery, bell peppers, thyme, and scallions—hailed from our CSA box and the Coral Gables Farmers Market.
Although I had un petit meltdown because we ran out of long-grain white rice, the stubby arborio I used worked just fine. Next time, I’ll kick back another beer and choose not to worry.
On the side, I served silky savoy cabbage, braised with butter, onions and heavy cream. Even vegetables have a sinful side on Mardis Gras. But with full work days ahead of us, we lived vicariously through our naughty cabbage. Other than dinner, we were far from spirited. Lights out at 11. Sober. And on to Ash Wednesday.
Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or bacon grease!)
3/4 pound smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 medium onions, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
2 fat stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup diced tasso ham
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/3 cups long-grain white rice
14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Black pepper
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add smoked sausage, and brown for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon. Add onions, peppers, and celery to the pot, and cook until soft—about 8 minutes. Add tasso ham, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in rice, and toast for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, cayenne, salt, pepper to taste, and smoked sausage. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cover the pot, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in shrimp and scallions, cover, and allow the rice to rest and shrimp to gently cook for 5 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6