Easy and flavorful, this jambalaya is perfect for beginners.

Serves 6 - 8

Olive Oil for Sautéing
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon no-salt Cajun Spice (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-1/2 cup onion, chopped
1-1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1-1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 14.5-ounce can whole tomatoes, diced
1 4-ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups white rice
1-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons green onion (tops plus 1-inch of the white), finely chopped

Method/directions
Place shrimp in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper and Cajun spice to the shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside.

To prepare the rice, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 cups of white rice, a pinch of sea salt, then stir and cover. Turn heat down to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to use.

Meanwhile, heat a heavy Dutch oven or pan over medium high heat. Add just enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the Trinity (onion, bell pepper, celery) to the pan and sauté until tender. Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic, sautéing for a minute or two, stirring to keep the garlic from browning. Add the shrimp and sauté until the shrimp just begin to turn pink.

Add the tomatoes or Ro-tel, the tomato sauce, the thyme, and 1 tablespoon each of the parsley and the green onion to the shrimp mixture and cook on medium high heat until the sauce is hot. Add the cooked rice (see Cook’s Notes) to the shrimp mixture and toss to combine OR serve the jambalaya over the rice.

To serve, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and green onion over the jambalaya.

Cook’s Notes:

Do not stir rice while cooking. Stirring releases the starch and makes the rice sticky.

Do not over cook the shrimp. Shrimp is cooked when it turns pink. Overcooked shrimp is dry and tough.

If you like a lot of heat (spice) in your food, you can substitute the can of tomatoes with a can of Ro-Tel. If you are unfamiliar with Ro-Tel, it is sort of a salsa that combines chopped tomatoes and chilies. Ro-tel is pretty hot so the first time out, you might want to mix half diced tomatoes with half Ro-Tel.

You can make jambalaya as ‘dry’ or as ‘wet’ as you like by adjusting the ratio of cooked rice and liquid.

Save the shrimp shells for making stock! Just put them into a zip lock baggie and freeze. Since we eat shrimp and other shellfish often, I just keep adding to the baggie until I have enough shellfish ‘parts’ to make stock with.

Where to purchase specialty ingredients for this recipe:
Bayou Blend Cajun Seasoning from The Posh Gourmet is a delicious, salt and MSG free Cajun blend of just the right amount of ‘heat’ and herbs and spices to season most anything from Gumbo to Jambalaya and fried chicken to meat loaf!

For Gourmet and other fine specialty foods, including quality olive oils, sea salts, and seasonings are available directly from The Posh Gourmet