Girls night out! It certainly has taken on a different meaning than it did 20 years ago but I still look forward to it just as much, if not more. We have mellowed and the nights are more about sharing food and drinks at new local restaurants, an occasional play, catching up on our lives and the latest books we’ve read and always lots of laughing! My girlfriends Amanda and Heidi and I have made this a monthly event and we rotate on who is in charge of next months night out.
I had just finished up a DIY kitchen cabinet project and Heidi thought we should have an evening at her house with cocktails on the patio and she would make dinner for us. She suggested the main topic of conversation be the revamp of her house. She made a wonderful Jambalaya and we were off and running on all our favorite topics over wine and big bowls of this savory soup.
I commented to Heidi that I appreciated she hadn’t put any tomatoes in the Jambalaya. Tomatoes are not something I eat a lot of. They just don’t love me and good friend that she is, she knows this. But what I did not know was there are two very distinct kinds of Jambalaya.
A quick little tidbit about the history of Jambalaya: Creole vs Cajun. In New Orleans area, Creole cooks make a “red” jambalaya that starts with meat and the “trinity” of onion, celery, and bell pepper. Seafood and tomatoes are then added, followed by equal portions of rice and stock. In the Louisiana bayous, where tomatoes may not have been as easy to get, the jambalaya of Cajun origin begins. Smoked meat, browned in a cast-iron pot, provides this variation with its distinctive flavor and earthy hue. The “trinity,” stock, and seasonings are then cooked together, the meat returned to the pot, and the rice added in last. So no tomatoes, or Cajun Jambalaya, is my kind of Jambalaya!
And yes, Amanda and I did share with Heidi all of our best tips for giving her house a little face lift. No DIY for her kitchen cabinets tho’ because they are beautiful just the way they are. We will have to make a return trip for another inspirational dinner and to see what she has been up to!
Feeling the Cajun vibe. As long as you use the “trinity”, traditional seasonings and rice, you can add any combo of meats and fish you would like and make it our own. Here’s Jambalaya my way. Let’s go Cajun tonight!
Cut bacon into lardons. Aren’t we fancy with our French way of saying cut into strips. Just sounds nicer, right? Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook bacon until lightly crisp. Remove and set aside.
Add sausage to pan and sauté until browned. Remove and set aside with bacon. Reduce heat to medium.
Add 1 Tbs flour to drippings. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes, or until mixture turns a rich brown (this is called a roux). Make it as dark as you like. The darker the nuttier, if you are feeling that way today.
Add onion, bell pepper, and celery – the “trinity”. The Cajun vibe is starting….
Saute for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft.
Now we know we are heading into Cajun territory with these spices.
Stir in rice and spices and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently to coat the rice with all this New Orleans love.
Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until rice has soaked up all the liquid flavor.
What are these little guys really? Langostino means prawn in Spanish but they are not prawns. They are Squat Lobsters which are not lobsters at all. In fact they are more closely related to hermit crabs! Confused…most people are! Bottom line…..they taste like a cross between shrimp and lobster, so go for it!
Add Langostino, nestling them into rice mixture. Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until Langostino are almost done.
Uncover and add back in the bacon and sausage and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Add more broth to get the consistency you prefer. Remove from heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with green onions and serve with a crisp green salad and wine.
For a GF meal, drain the grease from the bacon and skip adding the flour to make a roux. Otherwise follow the directions exactly.
- 2 slices of bacon, cut in lardons
- 3 chicken sausage links, cubed (I used Aidells Chicken with Spinach and red pepper)
- 1 Tbs flour
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme
- 12 oz Langostino or shrimp
- 3 tablespoons sliced green onions
- Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook bacon until lightly crisp. Remove and set aside.
- Add sausage to pan and sauté until browned. Remove and set aside with bacon.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 Tbs flour to drippings. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes, or until mixture turns a rich brown (this is called a roux).
- Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in rice and next 8 spices; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently to coat rice.
- Stir in broth and bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed.
- Add Langostino, nestling them into rice mixture. Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until Langostino are almost done.
- Uncover and add back the bacon and sausage and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Add more broth to get the consistency you prefer.
- Remove from heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with green onions and serve in bowls.
- For a Gluten Free meal, drain the grease from the bacon and skip adding the flour to make a roux. Otherwise follow the directions exactly.
