Jambalaya
Listen up, kiddos! I make a pretty mean jambalaya. All my measurements are loose and to taste, so I'm going to approximate my "handfuls" of this and "pinches" of that to come up with something that resembles what I make. A warning: this is spicy. Back it down on the heat if you don't have the tolerance for it. Ready? Here goes...
Ingredients:
- smoked chorizo - 2 packages, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- large frozen shrimp - 1 lb, preferably without shells or tails
- green peppers - 2, coarsely chopped
- large white onion - coarsely chopped
- celery - 10 stalks, coarsely chopped
- Garlic - 1/2 bulb, sliced
- diced tomatoes - 1 can
- clam juice - 8 oz
- El Pato brand mexican style tomato sauce - 7 3/4 oz can, adds a little heat
- water - 1 cup
- rice - 1 cup
- Louisiana hot sauce - 2-3 tablespoons
- Liquid Smoke - 8 dashes
- dried oregano - small palmful, crushed
- black pepper - fresh ground, to taste
- kosher salt - to taste
- garlic powder - 1 tbsp
- onion powder - 1 tbsp
- Old Bay seasoning - 2-3 tbsp
- olive oil -
- Bay leaves - 5, in an herb satchel
Instructions:
Sautee peppers, celery, onions, garlic and chorizo in a little bit of olive oil until peppers and celery start to soften. Season with a pinch of salt and some fresh ground pepper.
Add the canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add herbs, spices, hot sauce and liquid smoke. Allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add clam juice and water, and bring to a soft boil. Add rice. Reduce heat to a simmer. After 5 minutes, add shrimp.
Allow to simmer for 15-20 more minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Serve.
Enjoy the leftovers! The flavors meld really well and are even better over the next few days.
