Have you ever tried making jambalaya at home? It’s a great one-pot dish that’s soul-satisfying and a real crowd-pleaser at the same time. Ron Lynch of Voodoo Daddy’s Steam Kitchen, a new Cajun Creole restaurant in Tempe, shares his jambalaya recipe with us this week.
At the restaurant, Lynch uses a steam kettle to cook the jambalaya, but since most of us don’t have one handy, he modified the recipe for home use.
When preparing the chicken thighs, Lynch suggests resisting the urge to trim off all the fat. “The fat adds a lot of flavor.” Another suggestion: Keep an eye on the pot so that the ingredients don’t dry out. If that happens, add a little chardonnay to the mix, he says. “You want it to be moist.”
Ingredients
2 oz. red/green peppers, garlic and celery
1 oz. minced garlic
1 oz. minced shallots
1 lb. grilled chicken thighs, diced (or if you want to add shrimp, use 20 shrimp and 12 oz. chicken)
12 oz. Andouille sausage (already cooked)
8 oz. canned diced tomatoes
Preparation
- In a medium to large pot, add 8 oz. court bouillon (has a lobster and shrimp base) to a boil. (You can make or purchase at specialty stores.)
- Add all ingredients from above to the pot and stir.
- Add ½ to 2 oz. of cayenne pepper to taste.
- When the ingredients start to boil, add 32 oz. of cooked white rice and allow rice to soak up the liquid.
- Add 2 oz. Cajun seasoning blend (Paul Prudhomme)
- Stir frequently and add 4 oz. of whole butter. Allow butter to melt and stir once more to incorporate.
