Homemade Jambalaya – Easy one-pot recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the thickening agent for jambalaya? ›

I like roux in jambalaya because it thickens it and makes it less soupy. For the roux, use good quality vegetable oil that can stand up to high heat; butter or olive oil will burn before you get to the final result.

Rice – the base of jambalaya, which should be long grain white rice. Andouille sausage – spicy and delightful, it is essential for sausage jambalaya. The holy trinity – you can't call it “jambalaya” without green bell peppers, celery, and onions!

In my recipe, I call for two cups of long-grain rice. That means you need a total of four cups of liquid—whatever you get from the tomatoes, plus however much chicken stock you need to make up the difference. Using this method, you'll have the right amount of liquid each time, no guessing necessary.

There are two types of jambalaya: Cajun and Creole. Cajun jambalaya originates from the bayous of Louisiana, featuring andouille sausage and various veggies. Creole jambalaya incorporates tomatoes and shrimp, using influences from Spain, France, and African locals.

One of the biggest complaints when making jambalaya is that the rice ends up mushy. And there's two main culprits of this – choosing the wrong type of rice and over-stirring. For this recipe, you want long-grain white rice, like basmati or jasmine. Don't use short-grain rice.

Jambalaya, on the other hand, is a rice dish. Your average recipe contains about double the amount of liquid to rice, but the liquid cooks down. Jambalaya shouldn't turn out watery or mushy. Recipes with tomato sauce will turn out a little wetter, however, almost as wet as risotto, and that's totally normal.

The richness of the stock, the slow build of Creole spices, and the way the meat is cooked — in this case, caramelizing the sausage, which coaxes out more flavor and adds that appealing browned finish — also contribute to the deep, complex layers of this dish. Creole seasoning.

Creole Jambalaya. Cajun and Creole versions differ somewhat, particularly in their use of tomatoes, seasonings and meats, but all together it is a highly popular and hearty rice dish. Cajun jambalaya is most often brown in color, resulting from the caramelization of onions and sausage, and does not include tomato.

The "holy trinity" in Cajun cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine is the base for several dishes in the regional cuisines of Louisiana and consists of onions, bell peppers and celery. The preparation of Cajun/Creole dishes such as crawfish étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya all start from this base.

A cajun jambalaya, I'm reliably informed, should be somewhat dry, even slightly browned on the bottom, which rules out the soupier, wetter texture of those creole versions using tomatoes (Oliver advises cooks to aim for a “porridgey” consistency).

Do you put raw rice in jambalaya? ›

In a saucepan, bring Blue Runner® Creole Jambalaya base to a boil. Combine 1 cup uncooked rice, 1 pound chopped sausage, ham, precooked chicken, or seafood. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If the heat is too high, the water evaporates before the rice has a chance to fully cook. If you don't add enough water, the rice ends up dry and crunchy. And if you don't cook the rice long enough, it gets soft on the outside but doesn't cook through.

Smoked sausages –Kielbasa or other smoked European sausage from a Polish, German or European deli. This is the best substitute for andouille, I'd go as far as to say they're a very close match.

Creole jambalaya, also known as red jambalaya, contains tomatoes. Cajun or brown jambalaya does not. Jambalaya isn't thickened with roux, although some cooks do include a little skillet-browned flour.

Jambalaya and paella are both one pot rice dishes loaded with medleys of meat, seafood, and vegetables. To me, the main differences are in the spices that are used. Spices differentiate jambalaya and paella. Saffron is the main spice flavoring paella, but it is not in jambalaya.

Sprinkled sparingly over gumbo as a seasoning and a thickening agent, filé powder adds a distinctive, earthy flavor and texture. Filé powder is made by harvesting the young leaves and stems of the sassafras tree and grinding them.

When making gumbo, one has three different thickeners at their disposal: roux, filé powder, and okra. Each has a different origin, and each thickens in a different manner. Some recipes only call for one, some for two, some all three, and there are as many ways to make gumbo as there are gumbo cooks.

Cornstarch. Cornstarch is the most common thickening agent used in the industry. It is mixed with water or juice and boiled to make fillings and to give a glossy semi-clear finish to products. Commercial cornstarch is made by soaking maize in water containing sulphur dioxide.

Most gumbo recipes begin with roux, and for good reason: it's the foundation for the entire dish. Roux is flour that's browned in fat (like oil or butter) to thicken and flavor gumbo and other Cajun dishes.