May-June-2017_flipbook Revised

FESTIVALS

Jambalaya, My Way “This recipe is made with tomatoes, so don’t even think of serving it to anyone from

Chef John Folse’s Pork, Chicken & Andouille Jambalaya Serves 6 WHAT YOU WILL NEED 1 pound cubed pork butt 1 pound cubed chicken 1 pound sliced andouille 1 cup oil 2 cups chopped onions 2 cups chopped celery 1 cup chopped bell pepper 1 cup diced garlic 7 cups chicken stock 2 cups sliced mushrooms 1 cup sliced green onions 1 cup chopped parsley Salt and black pepper, to taste Dash of Louisiana Gold Pepper Sauce 4 cups Uncle Ben’s® Long Grain Rice HOW TO PREP In a 2-gallon, cast-iron Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté cubed pork until dark brown on all sides and until some pieces are sticking to the bottom of the pot, approximately 30 minutes. This is very important, as the brown color of jambalaya is derived from the color of the meat. Add cubed chicken and andouille, and stir for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, “long and low.” Tilt the pot to one side and ladle out all oil except for one large spoonful. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Continue cooking until all vegetables are well-caramelized; however, be very careful, as vegetables will tend to scorch since the pot is so hot. Add chicken stock; bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook all ingredients in stock approximately 15 minutes for flavors to develop. Add mushrooms, green onions and parsley. Season to taste using salt, pepper and Louisiana Gold. I suggest that you slightly over-season, since the rice tends to require a little extra seasoning. Add rice and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to very low, then cover and allow to cook 30 minutes, stirring once at 15 minutes. When cooked, stir again and let steam for 10 minutes. Gonzales Jambalaya Festival Rouses is a proud sponsor of the 50th Annual Gonzales Jambalaya Festival. Friday, May 26-Sunday, May 28, 2017

cook-off whose winner is named World Jambalaya Cooking Champion. But then again, there are zealous cooks who claim that the addition of tomatoes makes for a richer-tasting jambalaya. Who’s right, who’s wrong? That depends. Let it be understood that there is one thing upon which Cajuns do agree when it comes to food, and that is, it must taste good. On that score, both brown and red are fine. Which you prefer is a matter for your own taste buds. Just as there are arguments about the color of a good jambalaya, so are there discussions as to what ingredients should be included in the dish. There are those that say to use only ham and shrimp, while others argue, “Non, just shrimp.” And yet another says, “You have to put lots of chopped onions, bell peppers and celery,” only to have his cousin say, “Non, just a little.” Then to really confuse the issue, there’s a difference of opinion about when to add the rice. The addition of raw rice to the pot, according to one school of thought, allows all the flavors of the ingredients to be absorbed together. The trick then is that there must be the right amount of liquid in proportion to the amount of rice to ensure that the rice doesn’t get gummy.The experts say that the rice must not clump together. Although it strikes fear in many hearts, there are some cooks who advocate cooking the rice separately and adding it to the pot of the cooked ingredients afterwards — just don’t tell anybody. So who are you going to believe? The thing to do is to try it for yourself using whatever comes to mind, in whatever combination your taste buds tell you is right.

Gonzalez.” —Marcelle Makes 4 to 6 servings WHAT YOU WILL NEED 6 tablespoons butter 1 cup chopped green onions 1 cup chopped yellow onions 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 cup chopped celery 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 pound cubed ham or tasso 1 pound smoked sausage, cup chicken stock Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste 2 bay leaves 11 cups long-grain rice, uncooked TABASCO® Hot Sauce, to taste HOW TO PREP 2 cups diced tomatoes 1

cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

Heat the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft and lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the shrimp, ham and sausage. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Add the bay leaves and the rice. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve. Pass the hot sauce!

“The Creole name ‘jambalaya’ is derived from the French word for ham, “jambon,” and an African word for rice, ‘yaya.’ Yet, it is probable that Valencian paella is the forerunner of this classic Louisiana dish. Paella ismadewith a variety of ingredients includingmeat or seafood, white rice and white beans. Sound familiar? It’s easy to see why Louisianans usually top their meat-flavored jambalaya with a healthy ladle of creamy, white beans. The dish is truly a mélange of cultures.” —Chef John Folse

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