I made a 10 gallon pot (12 cups of rice) this weekend using the parboiled rice.

It wasn't my choice. They guy who was scheduled to make the jambalaya was called out of town, and asked me to cook it for him. He had already bought the ingredients. He made his a little different, and it was hard for me to use another guy's methods!

Besides the parboiled rice, he also had me put in 4 lbs of breakfast sausage and 5 lbs of loose hot sausage. It gave the jambalaya a dirty rice kind of effect.

Well the folks ate it up and raved about it! As for myself, and the jambalaya purists (foodies) that were there, we were really disappointed. I was more than a little miffed that my name was attched to that concoction, although decent enough to eat, but not nearly as good as my usual jambalaya!

Regarding the parboiled rice, it doesn't "pop" and doesn't absorb the flavor like regular long grain rice will. To me it's a big step down. Nevertheless, it is much more forgiving, and only the "foodies" will really notice the difference.

If you are unsure of your jambalaya cooking skill and want to be sure that the rice will not be crunchy or soggy, and the eaters won't know the difference anyway, go with the parboiled rice (or minute rice if you prefer). That's my suggestion.

Good luck, and bon appetite!

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Posted by coloradoBengal

Member since Sep 2007

32608 posts

Posted on 11/1/11 at 5:31 pm to Jimbeaux

quote:
Well the folks ate it up and raved about it! As for myself, and the jambalaya purists (foodies) that were there, we were really disappointed. I was more than a little miffed that my name was attched to that concoction, although decent enough to eat, but not nearly as good as my usual jambalaya!

I've seen this with people trying to make "gumbo" as well. My buddy called me, I talked him through making the roux, and then let him go. He made some crazy arse shite that was not gumbo, but was very tasty and his guests raved about it. I ate some the next day. It was like... rice and gravy I guess. Wet jambalaya? Not sure how to describe it.

As far as par boiled rice goes... there's plenty of ways to make jambalaya and I had a roommate in college that made his with parboiled rice... and tomatoes... in the oven. It was damn good jambalaya.

Just not my favorite kind.

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Posted by GeauxldMember

Member since Nov 2003

4405 posts

Posted on 11/2/11 at 9:50 am to Jimbeaux

quote:
Besides the parboiled rice, he also had me put in 4 lbs of breakfast sausage and 5 lbs of loose hot sausage. It gave the jambalaya a dirty rice kind of effect.

I'll put a couple of pounds of hot sausage in mine sometimes strictly for flavor. It's never ended up giving my jambalaya a dirty rice effect, but that's 2 lbs. for 10 lbs. of rice.

But 9 lbs of ground-type meat in a 5 gallon jamb? Christ!