Back about (too many) years ago I was the Club Steward (restaurant/bar manager) for a blue collar yacht club I belonged to. Anyhow… it was one of our “Evening in <pick a city>” Wednesday night dinners and we had a New Orleans theme where the opening shot was this Jambalaya. After everybody had “firsts” this one sweet mature woman, who in the several years I knew her NEVER uttered anything close to an obscenity, walked-up to the service table, her eyes watering and mascara streaked, for seconds and said “this stuff’s better than sex, may I have more please?"
Please, enjoy it.
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1 lb Andouille sausage, ½ inch thick slices.
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1 lb Chicken meat cut-up into 1 inch chunks.
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1 lb Smoked mild sausage, ½ inch thick slices.
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1 lb Raw peeled and deveined shrimp.
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2 14 oz can of diced tomatoes.
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2 small cans of tomato paste.
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4 cups good quality beef stock.
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2 11-oz cans of tomato or V8 juice.
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½ jar Chef Nicks Cajun Spice Blend.
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3 tbsp Worchester sauce.
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1½ cup chopped onion.
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1½ cup chopped celery.
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1½ cup chopped bell pepper.
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1 bottle good dark beer.
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2 oz (1/2 stick) butter.
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2 oz all purpose flour.
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Put the butter into the bottom of a LARGE pot, melt it and bring it to a sizzle.
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Add the flour, reduce heat to medium-low and, almost constantly stirring, make a peanut-butter colored roux. Don’t rush this because the roux is about half of the difference between good and great Cajun food.
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Add the veggies and stir until they’re all well coated with the roux.
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Add the stock and all the seasonings.
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Add the chicken and cook over medium heat for five minutes.
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Add the beer and the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the shrimp.
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Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and forget about it (other than occasional stirring) for two or three hours.
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If it gets too thick add some tomato or V8 juice (or beer).
Five minutes before serving add the shrimp.
It's Jambalaya, their ain't but one way to serve it... on top of plain white rice.