Oven Baked Jambalaya: Less Stirring, Better Results

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.

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That every one modified after 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 seemed again since.

The fantastic thing about this recipe lies in its simplicity. As a substitute of hovering over a pot, consistently 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 an alternative 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, lower into chunks
• 2 kilos shrimp

The magic occurs in a shallow pan or roaster – which is important – no deeper than 5 inches. This depth is essential for cooking all the dish on the identical temperature.

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

When you’ve received 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 methodology is the way it takes the guesswork out of creating Jambalaya. No extra questioning in the event 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 strive – I assure it will turn out to be your go-to methodology for making jambalaya.

Keep in mind, as with every recipe (particularly cajun), be happy to regulate the seasonings to your style. Sizzling sauce, cayenne, or pink pepper flakes are some choices that you would be able to strive 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 really particular.

Recipe Particulars

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award profitable outside journalist that resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outside column for the Slidell Unbiased 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 Outside 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