Jambalaya (Treebeards)

By LRay

Our jambalaya looks different from any other jambalaya we have ever
tasted and perhaps that is why we like it so much. The vegetables are
crisp-tender rather than cooked down. We also serve our jambalaya over
rice rather than cooking it with rice. We offer ourjambalaya two ways:
sausage and shrimp or sausage and chicken.

Ingredients

• 3/4 3/4 1/2-inch pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 5 5 1/2-inch stalks celery, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2-inch bell peppers, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 2 1/2-inch medium onions, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 2 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1 1-pound, 12-ounce 12-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 pound Treebeards' shrimp (separate recipe below)
• 3/4 3/4 pound chicken (see recipe below)

Preparation

Step 1

In a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, cook sausage pieces 3 minutes
or until they begin to brown.
Reduce heat to simmer and add celery, bell pepper and onion. Mix to coat with sausage drippings. Add garlic powder, thyme, cayenne pepper, bay leaves and salt and mix.
Add tomatoes and mix.
Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Before serving, add shrimp or chicken and cook only until shrimp or
chicken is heated through.
Serve over hot rice.

Serves 6.

VARIATION: For Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, omit the shrimp and
replace with chicken prepared as follows:

3/4 pound boneless chicken pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, place chicken pieces. Mix spices and sprinkle half over chicken. Turn chicken pieces and sprinkle with remaining spices. Using fingers, work spices into chicken. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in the prepared pan.

Bake at 3500 for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.

A little trivia:
There are a wide variety of ways to make jambalaya, with chicken and
sausage or shrimp, or ham, or even duck or alligator. "Red" jambalaya
recipes involve tomatoes and tomato sauce and "brown" jambalaya recipes
use browned meat and chicken or beef stock. In both versions, rice and
stock are added to the pot and cooked with meat and a vegetable mixture.

A third method is similar to Treebeards' version, where meat and
vegetables are cooked separately from the rice. This is called "white"
jambalaya in some regions.

TREEBEARDS’ SHRIMP

½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons chopped green onions (including tops)
1 teaspoon fish sauce (available in the Asian section of your grocers)

Combine spices and sprinkle over cleaned shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. When hot, add chopped green onions and fish sauce. Add seasoned shrimp and cook, tossing constantly, until shrimp are pink and opaque and cooked through, being careful not to overcook.