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Has anyone here cooked jambalaya in a pot >10 gallons on an open fire?
Posted on 5/9/18 at 1:31 pm
Posted on 5/9/18 at 1:31 pm
My bucket list includes a trip to Gonzales for a the Jambalaya Festival and I think they have a competition where they have to do it over an open fire.
I also would like to try doing it as well. Any tips?
I also would like to try doing it as well. Any tips?
Posted on 5/9/18 at 5:15 pm to LSUMANINVA
I haven't, but we've had several cooks that cook jambalaya competitively.
Don't expect the best tasting jambalaya from the Gonzales Jambalaya Fest. The rules are so strict, it basically amounts to how well a cook can get the rice to cook "properly". It's not about best possible flavor.
Also see the Jambalaya Calculator.
Don't expect the best tasting jambalaya from the Gonzales Jambalaya Fest. The rules are so strict, it basically amounts to how well a cook can get the rice to cook "properly". It's not about best possible flavor.
Also see the Jambalaya Calculator.
Posted on 5/9/18 at 9:28 pm to LSUMANINVA
I’ll bite. I cook in the festival every year. I’m cooking the first heat Friday morning (I hope).
I’ll give you any tips you want. Ask away. Stop by my and say hi if you make it out and I’ll talk your ear off about it
And this:
Unfortunately is true. It’s not the rules that’s the problem so much as it’s shitty chicken jambalaya. It’s very rare to find someone that prefers that over pork and sausage. In fact they struggle to sell it every year so they cook a pork and sausage jambalaya to sell and most of the cooks jam goes to waste.
It’s not completely just a rice cooking contest although that’s a big challenge for some. They look for chicken flavored rice. It’s not a jambalaya you’d cook for a tailgate for sure. I cook two different jambalayas. One when I cook for people that everyone enjoys and one that’s just for the festival.
I’ll give you any tips you want. Ask away. Stop by my and say hi if you make it out and I’ll talk your ear off about it
And this:
quote:
Don't expect the best tasting jambalaya from the Gonzales Jambalaya Fest. The rules are so strict, it basically amounts to how well a cook can get the rice to cook "properly". It's not about best possible flavor.
Unfortunately is true. It’s not the rules that’s the problem so much as it’s shitty chicken jambalaya. It’s very rare to find someone that prefers that over pork and sausage. In fact they struggle to sell it every year so they cook a pork and sausage jambalaya to sell and most of the cooks jam goes to waste.
It’s not completely just a rice cooking contest although that’s a big challenge for some. They look for chicken flavored rice. It’s not a jambalaya you’d cook for a tailgate for sure. I cook two different jambalayas. One when I cook for people that everyone enjoys and one that’s just for the festival.
This post was edited on 5/9/18 at 9:32 pm
Posted on 5/9/18 at 9:33 pm to LSUMANINVA
Yes. Cooking the big pots is actually easier than cooking the mini pots. Typically, you want a team of at least two, so that one team member can focus purely on the fire and the other can focus purely on stirring the pot. The other key tip is to have everything already pre-chopped and pre-measured before you start to ensure you don't have a flare-up burn what's in the pot while you're too busy getting that last onion cut up. To control your fire, you're going to need a wind shield and a partner who knows how to use it. A good/bad fire man can make/break a team.
What makes the Jambalaya Festival challenging is the strict rules. Teams cannot use store-bought pre-mixed seasonings. They cannot use additives like Kitchen Bouquet for color. They cannot use pork or sausage, only chicken on the bone.
The only ingredients one is allowed are:
Yellow Onions
Green Onions
Red Hot Sauce
Celery
Black Pepper
Garlic (Fresh & Granulated)
Red Pepper
Bell Peppers
Salt
Cooking Oil
AND set amounts of rice and chicken depending on what round of the competition you're in.
You've got to be pretty damn good to coax award-winning flavor (and color) out of that chicken.
Basically, the rules are strict to make it harder to make a tasty jambalaya which levels the playing field ingredients-wise, making it truly a skill competition.
What makes the Jambalaya Festival challenging is the strict rules. Teams cannot use store-bought pre-mixed seasonings. They cannot use additives like Kitchen Bouquet for color. They cannot use pork or sausage, only chicken on the bone.
The only ingredients one is allowed are:
Yellow Onions
Green Onions
Red Hot Sauce
Celery
Black Pepper
Garlic (Fresh & Granulated)
Red Pepper
Bell Peppers
Salt
Cooking Oil
AND set amounts of rice and chicken depending on what round of the competition you're in.
You've got to be pretty damn good to coax award-winning flavor (and color) out of that chicken.
Basically, the rules are strict to make it harder to make a tasty jambalaya which levels the playing field ingredients-wise, making it truly a skill competition.
This post was edited on 5/9/18 at 9:36 pm
Posted on 5/10/18 at 9:03 am to LSUMANINVA
The cooks of the JFA actually own the record for largest rice dish by the Guiness Book of World Records.
It was cooked in Mike Gonzales's syrup kettle.
We had to cook it 2 years in a row because there was a dispute with a group in Spain that cooked a paella.
It was cooked in Mike Gonzales's syrup kettle.
We had to cook it 2 years in a row because there was a dispute with a group in Spain that cooked a paella.
Posted on 5/10/18 at 5:59 pm to LSUMANINVA
Clash of the Cooks competition on campus next Saturday the 19th is a great event that has fairly lax rules....check out the website, www.clashofthecooks.com.
Great family event that raises money to help local families battling cancer.
Great family event that raises money to help local families battling cancer.
Posted on 5/11/18 at 7:49 am to LSUMANINVA
I don’t know about the oversized pot, but making jambalaya on an open fire isn’t really that different from making anything else on an open fire. It adds some challenges, but it also adds some fun and (I think) some flavor as well.
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