When I was at Tulane Architecture in New Orleans I would sometimes go sit with Paul Prudhomme at K-Pauls, his restaurant in the French Quarter. Chef Paul taught me how to make Jambalaya. Chef Paul was larger than life to me then and it was from him that I learned about Cajun cooking. I’ve included here my favorited recipe for his Seafood Jambalaya, perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!
If your short on time here’s a quick fix from Zatarain’s
Here’s My favorite Seafood Jambalayafrom the kitchen of
Chef Paul Prudhomme.
Makes 6 to 8 main dish or 16 appetizer servings
ingredients
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup Chef Paul Prudhomme�s Tasso (a seasoned and smoked ham), diced
1/2 cup Chef Paul Prudhomme�s Andouille Smoked Sausage, diced
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup green bell peppers, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons Chef Paul Prudhomme�s Seafood Magic�
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cups tomatoes (about 4 medium size), chopped
3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cups seafood stock
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 cups uncooked rice (preferrably converted)
1 pound peeled crabmeat, crawfish or firm-fleshed fish filets (cut into bite-sized pieces), or any combination of your favorite seafood, that equals 1 pound
1 1/2 dozen oysters in their liquor (medium size) (about 10 ounces)
1 1/2 dozen peeled medium shrimp (about 1 1/2 pound)
how to prepare
Drizzle the oil on the Tasso, Andouille, onions, celery and bell peppers; and evenly mix each with your hands. Heat a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the Tasso, Andouille and sauté until browned, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers; sauté until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom well. Add the bay leaves, Magic Seasoning Blend and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the pan bottom as needed.
Add the tomatoes and cook about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato sauce and cook for 7 minutes more, stirring often. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Then stir in the green onions and cook about 2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add the rice and seafood; stir well and remove from the heat. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 13×9-inch baking pan. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F until rice is tender but still crunchy, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. If you still have liquid in the pan bottom, let pan sit a few minutes, still covered, to allow rice to absorb the liquid. Remove bay leaves and serve immediately.
To serve, mold rice in an 8-ounce cup and place 2 cups on each serving plate as a main course and 1 cup as an appetizer.
