This is probably, hands down, JP’s favorite meal.  Inevitably, our kitchen is filled with exclamations that go something like this:  “OHMYGODPARKERYOUARESOFREAKINGAMAZINGILOVEYOUANDTHISJAMBALAYASOMUCH!!”

Classic jambalaya usually has chicken, but I normally just add shrimp and spicy andouille sausage.  My go-to brand is Ragin’ Cajun.

I make my jambalaya in piece-meal and then combine it all— making the rice, sautéing the veggies, then the sausage, then doing the shrimp last so they don’t get tough.  The best part is that it tastes even better the next day– (if it lasts that long!)  I serve it with jalapeño cornbread.  Prepare to smack yo mama after the first bite…..it’s that damn good!

Ingredients

1 box of Zatarain’s Jambalaya Rice Mix

2 bay leaves

1 onion diced

3 garlic cloves diced

1 green or red bell pepper diced

3 celery stalks diced

1 jalapeño diced

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with chilies (like Rotel) undrained

1 Tb tomato paste

1 Tb srirachi or hot sauce

1 Tb worcestershire

1/4 cup white wine

1 Tb Grade B maple syrup

2 Tb butter

2 Tb olive oil

3 Tb fresh thyme leaves

1 package of andouille sausage

1 pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined) tossed with 2 Tb of spice mix (recipe below)

Spice Mix

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp thyme leaves

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions: Make Zatarain’s mix according to package directions with the addition of the bay leaves and set aside.

Veggies: Saute vegetables (onion, peppers, garlic, jalapeño, celery) in 1 Tb olive oil on medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Add to rice.  (I usually put rice in a large saucepan after it’s cooked to make room for the other ingredients).  Then, add in worcestershire, tomatoes, tomato paste, white wine, hot sauce and fresh thyme.  Let simmer uncovered on low heat until you add the sausage/shrimp and are ready to serve.  Stir occasionally.

Sausage: Slice sausage to desired thickness (I do about 1/4 inch) and saute in 1 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive oil on medium heat until cooked through– about 10 minutes.  Then add the Grade B Maple syrup to coat.  Grade B is the thicker more organic variety than your regular Aunt Jemima. It has a stronger maple taste– combined with the sausage, it’s got a touch of sweet and a whole lotta spicy, smoky and delish.

Shrimp: Toss shrimp (after they’re peeled and deveined) in 2 Tb of the spice mix.  Heat up 1 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive oil in a frying pan on med/high heat and let the butter get bubbly.  If you add a shrimp to the pan and you don’t hear a *sizzle*– it’s not ready.  Wait another minute or so.  Don’t crowd the shrimp in the pan– you’ll need to do atleast 2 batches if you’re cooking a whole pound.  Add a little more butter and olive oil between batches.

Saute shrimp for 3 minutes on one side and flip– then 2 minutes on the other side.  Put your timer on so they don’t go too long and get overdone!

Fold in the sausage and the shrimp to the rice and serve hot with cornbread.  Prepare for a par-tay on your palate that Mama would be proud of.