Jambalaya: A Spicy Showcase for Southern U.S. Rice

You know a dish is really good when everybody wants to claim it. Is jambalaya a Creole or a Cajun creation? Both groups believe firmly that it's theirs, and we may never know the answer. Suffice it to say that the invention of jambalaya was inevitable in a rice-growing state with a strong Spanish presence. The fingerprints of the Spanish are all over jambalaya, with its green peppers and sausage and spice. The difference between paella and jambalaya, after all, is mainly a matter of seasoning.

Smoked Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya. View the recipe or watch the video.

Louisiana cooks use long-grain rice for jambalaya because that's the rice they grow. The basic concept calls for simmering the rice in a spicy stock with whatever seasonings the cook feels like adding and whatever ingredients the family's hunter-gatherer brought home that day—shrimp, duck, crawfish, crabs, oysters, smoked pork or chicken, or a combination. In the spirit of so much of Cajun and Creole cooking, jambalaya feeds an army, or at least all the relatives at a family gathering. Made with parboiled rice, it holds well on a buffet.

Most cooks start with a flavor base of sautéed aromatic vegetables such as onions, celery, green peppers and garlic. Pork fat from ham or andouille sausage is traditional and adds a layer of smoky complexity, but other fats can be used. Herbs and spices go into the pot—with a generous hand on the cayenne and black pepper—followed by tomatoes, although they are optional. Some cooks prefer a "brown" jambalaya made with a roux and no tomato.

Start with this basic technique.

Meats that take time to cook, such as chicken or duck, are braised in this flavorful foundation until tender. Then stock is added and brought to a boil, and the dish is ready for the rice. Some cooks finish the dish on top of the stove; others transfer it to the oven. Shrimp and oysters, if used, are added at the end so they don't overcook.

Watch Chef Lars Kronmark make a traditional Smoked Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya using U.S. long grain rice. Chef Lars Kronmark uses parboiled rice to produce a delicious jambalaya that holds well, too, so it's perfectly suited to foodservice needs.