April showers may bring May flowers, but May brings... the anniversary of our tornado. It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that it’s been a year since that day. So much work, stress and strife since that day, but on the other hand, I still remember it like it was yesterday...
Anyway. It seems appropriate to theme May’s recipe around the event, so here is my jambalaya recipe. Yes, Jambalaya, as I will forever associate jambalaya with the tornado!
A few days after the tornado, we heard about a neighborhood cookout that was being hosted in the parking lot of the Washburn Funeral Chapel on Lowry. We were sore, exhausted and living out of a cheap hotel, but we decided to pick up $200 in groceries and make a big pot of jambalaya for those affected by the tornado, and the volunteers – it just seemed like the right thing to do. With our own repairs and financial difficulties, there wasn’t a lot that we could do for the community, but I could cook.
My idea was that jambalaya is cheap to make, hearty and comfort food – all stuff that would be needed. It could be made in a big pot, and it’s also very healthy, which would be a nice change from all of the “non-perishable food” and junk that I know we – and most others – had been stuck living with.
It took two hours to cut up the veggies and meats, putting the prepped ingredients in a cooler to bring. We brought a 10 gallon stock pot (for home brewing), a 7.5 gallon turkey fryer, and a home brew mash paddle to use as a wooden spoon! To cook outdoors. In a disaster zone. I don’t have any experience working in a restaurant or cooking for that many people… or in those kind of conditions… so there was a lot of finger crossing going on. It was surreal. Big 10 gallon pot going over a propane burner, stirring it with what looked like a canoe oar, with “Cotton Eyed Joe” playing in the background.
Well, the jambalaya turned out beyond good! It was my best batch ever, and went over so well! We got a ton of compliments on us providing “the real deal”: a huge compliment to this Canadian - cooking traditional southern cuisine!
Well we ended up serving jambalaya to 270 people. The cookout organizers estimated that about 500 people were served that afternoon! People were smiling, everyone got a hearty meal, and there was a great feeling of community.
The experience was incredibly therapeutic for us. Not only was it time away from our own disaster, it was fun... and it went a long way to lifting the feeling of helplessness we were dealing with.
Chicken, Shrimp, & Sausage Jambalaya
2 lbs large raw shrimp. (deveined, shell still on)
8 cups chicken stock
2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbs Andouille sausage (substitute kielbassa if unavailable)
2 large onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
4-6 ribs celery, chopped
1 small can tomato paste
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
6-8 cloves garlic, pressed
3 tsp cayenne
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp crushed bay leaves
1 tsp salt
2 lb bag rice
Start out by flavoring your chicken stock. This is optional, but very much worth the effort!
Peel all 2 lbs of your shrimp, putting shells and tails in a medium or large pot (not the large pot you’ll need to make the jambalaya though!). Cover raw shrimp and keep it in the fridge for later. Cover shrimp shells with the chicken stock. Add any celery you have left after reserving 4-6 ribs, some onion, or whatever else you’d like to flavor the stock with. I like just celery and onion in mine, leaving additional flavors for later! Heat stock on low for 30 minutes to an hour or so, until it smells and tastes amazing. Strain everything out, and reserve the stock.
In the meantime, brown chicken in vegetable oil, set aside.
In large, heavy pot: brown sausage. Add onions, peppers, and sausage. Cook vegetables until soft.
Add tomato paste to vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, until tomato paste starts to caramelize/ brown a bit. This will add a lot of flavor to the finished jambalaya. Keep a close eye on it, do not allow it to burn!
Add diced tomatoes, cooked chicken breast, shrimp stock, and all of the herbs and spices – everything remaining, aside from the rice and raw shrimp. Turn heat down to low, and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasonings if desired.
Add rice to pot. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes or so, stirring fairly frequently – you don’t want it to burn onto the bottom of the pot! Remove lid, allow to cook uncovered for another 5- 10 minutes or so, depending on your rice. When rice is almost cooked through, add shrimp to pot and stir well. Cook until rice is done, and shrimp is cooked through. Serve hot!