I'm almost positive the name of my section of the blog is a fat joke.
I mean, I get that it's alliterative. And I get that there are only so many words that are usable and start with J. And I get that James had already scooped up "Jargon", like some off-consonant benamed vulture just waiting on the right moment to lay claim to the only viable solution of any worth and leave the dregs to me. But Jambalaya? I know I'm the largest of the four of us, but I'm not sure it's called for that my blog entry name is the only one that reflects food. On second thought, though, maybe Jambalaya is the perfect name for this little endeavor. At its heart, a good jambalaya is a mixture of a whole lot of pretty good stuff, each ingredient made better by its reliance on the others. This blog is surely going to be a mixture - of food, football and foolishness - and I've often found that each complements the others. Also, as it happens, I have a mean Jambalaya recipe. It's one of my wife's favorite foods, my Dad asked for the secret, and even the in-laws have made requests several times. It's modified from a cookbook that serves as my lone remaining souvenir from my senior trip to New Orleans in the Spring of 1992. (Side note, good call Chapman. Let's turn 50 or so 17-and-18-year olds loose on Bourbon Street.) I bought a tiny cookbook in a little book shop in the French Quarter, and I've got it these many years later. The jambalaya in there is different from mine, but it makes an excellent starting point. Want to make some? Sure you do! I bet you've got most of what you need right in your kitchen. Or maybe you're like me and shop for groceries one day at a time, refusing to acknowledge the possibility that you might exist past tomorrow at supper. If that's the case, procure the following: one pound (roughly) of smoked sausage (one "hoop" link sausage is good. If it's Polska Kielbasa, you are a good person who knows what good things are and I would like to be your friend), one onion, one green bell pepper, some garlic, and enough raw long-grain rice to enable you to measure out a cupful. You'll also need cajun seasoning ( I use Tone's), cayenne pepper, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, beef bouillion granules, butter and olive oil. Cut the sausage into rounds (yes, all of it. It's going to feed four to six people. Or two people twice. Don't freak out). Roughly chop the onion and pepper. There. Prep done. Did I mention this was easy? Melt a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil together in a dutch oven or large pot. Add sausage, and allow it to brown a little. When the sausage is lightly browned, add onions, pepper, and a clove of garlic or two. Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon each of worcestershire and soy sauce, and cayenne to taste. Don't use much. Seriously, that's too much. An eighth of a teaspoon will do. Just a little. Really. Cook all that over medium heat until the vegetables are soft. Add one cup of raw rice. Stir a little bit and kind of toast the rice. Add two and a half cups of the liquid of your choice. A Note: I do NOT get to use the liquid of my choice. I use the liquid of my wife's choice, which is water. That's the way I first made it, and she insists I not trifle with the recipe. But a good, dark beer in place of at least one of those cups of water would be just fine. Some tomato sauce would work well. Never thought of wine, but why not. But if you want to be true to the recipe, water. Two and a half cups of it. Add a tablespoon of bouillion granules, bring it to a boil, stir, and cover it. Cut to the lowest setting on your burner and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. At this point, you're done but you can add anything else you'd like. A can of chopped tomatoes, a jar of mushrooms, whatever. I'm not responsible for anything past those two, though. There you have it. Jed's Jambalaya. Take that, James. Hope y'all enjoy.
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JedAward-winning journalist. Frustrated pitmaster. Whiskey enthusiast. Lover of all things cheeseburger-related. Unapologetically proud Sandlapper. Archives
July 2017
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