re: Jambalaya help

The answer to adding more flavor is usually chili peppers.

When I make jambalaya I add chili peppers, fresnos if I can get them and jalapenos if I can't. Use four or so for a two cup of rice jambalaya. If you like heat you can add a couple of serranos.

Seed them and run them through a food processor and add them when you add the other veggies (me, I run all the veggies through the food processor, not just the peppers).

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The answer to adding more flavor is usually chili peppers.

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Heat from chili peppers is often used to distract from a lack of flavor in Cajun food. It is usually used by someone who doesn't know how to develop the flavors already in their ingredients.

Don't do this - it gives Cajun food a bad name.

Agree with most of the other posters.

-Use a well seasoned andouille or smoked pork sausage
-Use a little more salt than you think you need

A couple things I do that I haven't seen mentioned:

-I don't brown everything separately. The onions and peppers are sweated in veg. oil over med. high heat for 15-20 minutes. Then the sausage goes in for 15-20 minutes, and finally the chicken for another 15-20 minutes. Seasoning is added at every stage. Everything should be well browned by this stage.
-I then add the rice and toast it in the fat for a few minutes before adding my liquid.

This was assuming you were lacking flavor altogether. If you are saying you couldn't taste the flavor of the rice itself, that's a different story. If that's the case, go simpler on the seasonings. Just salt, bay leaves, cayenne, and water (not stock) will go a long way in seasoning the dish without overpowering the flavor of the rice.

Here is how I cook my Jambalaya


Jambalaya can be made with different meats. It usually contains chicken and one or more other meats (sausage, pork, beef, venison, squirrel, duck, goose, etc.) along with a variety of vegetables and spices. This can also be made with seafood such as crawfish, shrimp or crab; but not fish...it would fall apart. This can also be made with or without a roux.

For 4 to 6 people... I usually make a much larger batch and freeze it in meal size portions to be cooked with rice later.

Preparation

• 3 large yellow onions, chopped.
• 2 to 3 cups of celery, chopped.
• 1 large Bell pepper, chopped.
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
• ½ cup parsley, chopped.
• 1 cup green onions, chopped (optional).
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped with seeds.
• 1 cup chopped fresh or 1 small can of mushrooms (optional).

Meats

• 1.5 to 2.5 lbs., chicken can be in whole pieces but cut other meat into bite size portions.
• 1 lb smoked sausage cut into bite size pieces.

Cooking Stock

• Brown sausage on med. heat and place on paper towel to remove grease.
• Brown all other meat. This may take a couple of batches.
* The seasonings can be added to the meats while you are browning it.
• Sauté the yellow onions, celery, garlic, parsley, jalapeno pepper and bell pepper in with the meat. [not the sausage]
• Add ~3 cups of water to pot and add meat and sausage after browning.
* Add 1 tbsp of Tony's Creole seasoning.
• Add about 1 tbsp salt and black pepper....... for a different flavor, add 1 can of Rotel
tomatoes instead of the black & cayenne pepper.
• Add about ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
• Add 1/8 cup sugar.
• Add ½ teaspoon thyme and sage (optional).
• Add mushrooms (optional).
• Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Roux (optional).
• Add one small can of tomato sauce for a little different flavor (optional).
• Stir and simmer at least 30 minutes. Taste and add seasoning, as needed.
• Skim off excess grease, but leave some to add flavor.


Cooking Rice

If preparing large amount of the Jambalaya, take out about 1 cup of “stock” for each serving desired to eat now. Put remaining portion aside to cool and then put in labeled containers to save or freeze. The extra Jambalaya w/rice can also be frozen for a few months. Add seasoning to pot, if needed, after eating.

• Add 1 or 2 cups water to the Jambalaya stock and bring to boil.
• Add ~2 to 2.5 cups rice. [~ ½ cup rice per serving]
• Stir, cover and Cook on low heat about 20 minutes.
• Add more water, as needed, while cooking rice.
* Taste the liquid and add more seasoning as needed.