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Started By
Message
Help. Can't seem to get my Jambalaya that dark color I'm looking for.
Posted on 4/12/21 at 10:17 am
Posted on 4/12/21 at 10:17 am
I follow the Gonzalez recipe but I can't seem to get it to a darker color. It taste great but lacks that good color. Can someone give me some insight on this? Thanks
Posted on 4/12/21 at 10:28 am to daeizbae
cheat and add kitchen bouquet to your water
or....
keep browning your onions and meat till they get darker
and dont feel bad about using kitchen bouquet
and the Gonzales Jambalaya is really not that dark, the judges want it just as brown as a brown paper bag
or....
keep browning your onions and meat till they get darker
and dont feel bad about using kitchen bouquet
and the Gonzales Jambalaya is really not that dark, the judges want it just as brown as a brown paper bag
This post was edited on 4/12/21 at 10:29 am
Posted on 4/12/21 at 10:32 am to daeizbae
Don’t crowd the pot or add too much oil when you brown your meats. You want them to stick to the bottom of the pot some. I do sausage first, pork, then chicken. When you finally get to the onions, they should help you loosen up all of the fond on the bottom of the pot. I also add just a little water first that makes sort of a gravy. I cook that until it thickens and do it again before adding the stock.
Posted on 4/12/21 at 10:46 am to SmokedBrisket2018
I know a guy that knows a guy that theoretically uses 1 TBS of kitchen bouquet in a 7qt jamb.
You didn't hear that from me, though. And this is at least like 5th hand information, as I definitely don't know that guy, and am surely not that guy...
You didn't hear that from me, though. And this is at least like 5th hand information, as I definitely don't know that guy, and am surely not that guy...

Posted on 4/12/21 at 10:53 am to daeizbae
Just use tomatoes like god intended. The fact these clowns have to use kitchen bouquet ought to tell you something right there.
This post was edited on 4/12/21 at 10:54 am
Posted on 4/12/21 at 11:08 am to daeizbae
I cook my chicken until it starts to stick to the pot some. I also cook the vegetables a long time too, until they’re well caramelized. A rich, dark stock never hurts as well.
Posted on 4/12/21 at 11:33 am to daeizbae
Season your protein before you brown it. When you brown your protein dont crowd the pot. I take all my meat out and set aside, then I brown my onions. You have to go way past clear. Brown till they stick, deglaze, repeat that about 6-10 times.
You can also use a darker stock and that happens by cooking longer. When I make mine I bake a family pack of chicken thighs. Debone them, put all the bones and fat back in a pan and let all that bake it till it's nice and brown. I save the chicken for salads, stews, enchiladas. The bones I use to make a stock. Simmer them for a couple hours.
You can also use a darker stock and that happens by cooking longer. When I make mine I bake a family pack of chicken thighs. Debone them, put all the bones and fat back in a pan and let all that bake it till it's nice and brown. I save the chicken for salads, stews, enchiladas. The bones I use to make a stock. Simmer them for a couple hours.
Posted on 4/12/21 at 11:36 am to daeizbae
Deleted due to massive brain fart.
Somehow read gumbo instead of jambalaya.
Somehow read gumbo instead of jambalaya.
This post was edited on 4/12/21 at 11:45 am
Posted on 4/12/21 at 11:36 am to daeizbae
You using a cast iron dutch oven?
Posted on 4/12/21 at 11:41 am to gumbo2176
quote:
Jambalaya
quote:
I cook my roux

Posted on 4/12/21 at 11:43 am to Panny Crickets
quote:
Jambalaya
quote:
I cook my roux
Man, for some reason I read gumbo. MY BAD for that post and will delete it.
Horrible advice.
Posted on 4/12/21 at 11:54 am to daeizbae
Brown dat pork good good baw. Use dark chicken stock.
Posted on 4/12/21 at 11:55 am to gumbo2176
you get your color from cooking your onions down and the gratin from frying your pork. you should not need kitchen bouquet if you do that right
Posted on 4/12/21 at 12:08 pm to daeizbae
You probably aren't adding enough raisins.
Posted on 4/12/21 at 12:10 pm to daeizbae
You’re not searing your meat enough and you’re not cooking your onions long enough
Posted on 4/12/21 at 12:17 pm to SUB
quote:
You using a cast iron dutch oven?
Yes I am.
This post was edited on 4/12/21 at 12:19 pm
Posted on 4/12/21 at 1:14 pm to daeizbae
Read something years ago, tried it, and I stick with it - cook a pound of bacon in your pot before you do anything else, then remove the bacon and eat while you're cooking the rest.
The bacon grease adds flavor and gives my chicken jambalaya just the right amount of brown.
The bacon grease adds flavor and gives my chicken jambalaya just the right amount of brown.
Posted on 4/12/21 at 2:00 pm to Shexter
quote:
cook a pound of bacon in your pot before you do anything else
Exactly what I do. I get a little fond from that but the cubed boston butt is what really sets the bottom for me. The fat left on each piece helps as well. I just season it and let it stick. Deglaze with a tiny bit of stock and do it again until I have the whole bottom of the pot covered. Then I throw my onions in and a little more stock and deglaze again. That does the trick every time.
OP you're likely not browning your pork enough. And some people start with their onions and just keep cooking them down until they're caramelized like mentioned above. That certainly works too.
Or you can use Kitchen Bouquet. I don't...but don't knock anyone who does. If the flavor is there and the rice is popped, that's all that matters to me.
Posted on 4/12/21 at 2:10 pm to daeizbae
Like others have said brown your onions longer. Sometime browning the meat longer to get color dries it out. Also like others have said add Kitchen Boquet or Savoie’s Browning and Flavor Sauce at 1 tablespoon plus a teaspoon per 64 oz stock/liquid added for a 4 cup rice jambalaya. Will give it that perfect jambalaya color you always see in pictures. Or add two tablespoons if you want it “brown”. Just go to your local Cajun meats store and they will make you do penance for “cheating” by making you eat a couple links of cauliflower boudin!!
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