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Jambalaya
I first went to New Orleans for an American Society of Haematology in the mid-1980s. We were participating in a multi-centre trial of intravenous immunoglobulin funded by Baxter, and had an investigators' meeting followed by a dinner at Antoine's. After that, Soozie Courter and I went to listen to John Mayall playing down by the French Market, and talked and drank until about 4am.
The next morning a group of us went on a paddle steamer trip up (or was it down) the Mississipi. I think I was the worse for wear and the jambalaya we had for lunch passed me by, such that when I tried to recreate it from memory a few years later, it was a disaster.
Returning to New Orleans with Kath after last year's ASH meeting in Orlando allowed us to appreciate jambalaya without the hangover. In fact its pretty similar to Kath's leftover family 'risotto' that we have eaten weekly most of our married life. The major differences are the spicing, the use of tomatoes, and the rice. I have made it now several times, most recently for the Bayswater Farm Carnival party, and I think we now have it sussed. The method we used is probably fairly generic, but is most immediately based in that given by Ella and Dick Brennan in their Commander's Palace New Orleans Cookbook.
The base
The Italians would call it a soffrito, but in Creole its a mixture of onion, green pepper and celery. This is sweated off gently in butter and oil together with some bayleaves and a generous amount of diced smoked ham.
The 'fillings'
Typically chicken, shrimp, and the famous Andouille sausage. I don't think the Creole Anduoille we were served bore much resemblance to the traditional French product of the same name, which is a smoked sausage made from tripe. We have used a variety of smoked pork sausages very successfully, and even some chorizo (redolent of paella). There are other versions with, for example, duck. Use whatever you have.
Fresh chicken or shrimp needs to be cooked through a bit with the base and seasonings before adding rice and liquid, but leftovers or pre-cooked offerings can be added later.
The Brennan's recipe calls for peeled crawfish tails, but they are none too common around here (though last summer the Thames was awash with crayfish: probably the same thing).
The seasonings
The ham and sausage will probably provide enough salt. Traditionally, a smattering of paprika (make sure its good quality, and not stale), generous shakes of Tabasco (the new Chipotle variety is terrific) and Worcestershire Sauce. Finally, some dried oregano and/or thyme. Quantities? All to your own taste.
Tomatoes
These don't feature in our homely risotto but seem to be a defining ingredient of the Creole classic. Indeed, the Brennan recipe calls for huge quantities. Don't bother with the chore of skinning fresh tomatoes: just open some cans of chopped tomatoes and pile them in.
The rice
American long-grain rice is the obvious choice, but other types could be considered. In our family 'risotto' (in fact more a pilaff) we use Basmati rice, and cook the dish covered, on a low heat with just the right amount of liquid for 15-20min, resting for a further 5-10. Basmati is fragile, and disintegrates if stirred much during cooking, or if cooked with too much liquid for too long.
For authenticity we have used the American rice in Jambalaya but find its more difficult to cook: it seems to take much longer to cook through, but is more robust then Basmati and can be stirred -- essential with a large open pan.
Close relatives to jambalaya are of course the Spanish paella, and even the Italian risotto. Both use (different) types of round rice that absorb liquid and flavouring very well, and actually benefit from frequent stirring and cooking in an open pan. We haven't yet tried them in jambalaya but will one day.
The liquid
As a rule of thumb, rice will absorb twice its volume of liquid during cooking. Different strains vary a bit in their absorbancy, and it pays to know your particular rice's characteristics. With plain boiled rice it is thus fairly easy to work out how much liquid you will need, but when making this kind of concoction, with plenty of moisture in the ingredients (especially tomatoes) its not so straightforward.
We tend to make up the liquid volume with fresh chicken stock and of course the juice from the canned tomatoes, plus or minus some passata. Its probably best to underestimate the volume initially, and to add some as you go along. That's very much how the Italians cook risotto.
The pan
Jambalaya is a 'community' dish and is often cooked in huge, wide, open pans. The closest we have is a large carbon steel paella pan which works a treat. A vey large frying pan or wok might be suitable alternatives. A lid is probably not an option with the larger pans, and the evaporation will impact on the amount of liquid required.
Final tip
Jambalaya is fine kept warm for a couple of hours or so. It will take longer than you think, so allow plenty of time and have it ready before your guests arrive.
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