Oven Baked Jambalaya: Much less Stirring, Higher Outcomes

Right here in Louisiana, jambalaya is greater than only a dish – it’s a conventional meal that runs deep. However I’ve to admit one thing: for years, my pot-cooked jambalaya by no means fairly hit the mark. Each time I stirred the pot, attempting to maintain the rice from sticking, I’d find yourself with a mushy dish of smushed rice.

Bounce on to the recipe!

That each one modified once I shared my recipe with my aunt and defined to her the issue.  She smiled knowingly and pulled out a recipe that had been handed down from her father. The key? Ditch the burner and use the oven. This straightforward change reworked my jambalaya recreation, and I haven’t regarded again since.

The great thing about this recipe lies in its simplicity. As an alternative of hovering over a pot, always stirring, and worrying concerning the backside burning, you’ll be letting your oven do all of the work. The result’s completely cooked rice each time, with every grain separate from the opposite as a substitute of turning to mush.

Right here’s what you’ll want:

• 2 cups Uncle Ben’s transformed rice (belief me on the model – it issues)
• 1 (12 oz) can French onion soup
• 1 (12 oz) can beef consommé
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 oz) can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 stick butter
• 3 hyperlinks andouille sausage, sliced
• 3 rooster breasts, minimize into chunks
• 2 kilos shrimp

The magic occurs in a shallow pan or roaster – which is crucial – no deeper than 5 inches. This depth is essential for cooking your complete dish on the similar temperature.

Add all substances to your uncovered pan and slide within the oven at 350 levels.   After about quarter-hour, give every thing one good stir – that is the one time you’ll want to the touch it. Then, let the oven do the remainder. All it’s a must to do is keep watch over it till you see the start of a brown crust forming on prime of the jambalaya.

When you’ve bought that browning on the floor, pull it out and let it relaxation for half-hour. This resting time is essential – it permits all these flavors to marry collectively and ensures the rice is completely cooked.

What I really like about this technique is the way it takes the guesswork out of constructing Jambalaya. No extra questioning when you’re stirring an excessive amount of or too little. No extra watching the underside of the pot to stop burning. Simply mix, bake, and wait.

This oven-baked model delivers constant outcomes each time, with completely cooked rice and flavors that mix completely. Give it a attempt – I assure this can turn into your go-to technique for making jambalaya.

Bear in mind, as with every recipe (particularly cajun), be at liberty to regulate the seasonings to your style. Sizzling sauce, cayenne, or pink pepper flakes are some choices that you could attempt if you wish to add some spice! However no matter you do, don’t skip that 30-minute relaxation on the finish – it’s what makes this dish actually particular.

Recipe Particulars

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award successful outside journalist that resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outside column for the Slidell Impartial Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Out of doors Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith e mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com