BDClary's Jambalaya

This one I learned recently, and was a big hit at a Gatorsax BBQ. The version below is exactly how I make it, but like chili, it's pretty flexible, especially concerning the meats; you can add bacon, tasso, turkey, whatever. I firmly believe you can never have too many onions or too much garlic, so I tend to go a little heavy. For spices, I use Chuck Taggart's Creole Seasoning Blend or Emeril's Essence. Quantity Item 1/2 cup Butter 2 lbs. Sausage (1 lb. Andouille, 1 lb. Smoked) - sliced 2 lbs. Chicken - julienned 1/2 lbs. Tasso (cajun spiced ham) or smoked ham - cubed 1.5 lbs. Shrimp and/or Crawfish 1.5 - 2 lbs. Sweet Onions (preferably Vidalia) - chopped 1 Large Red Bell Pepper - chopped 6 stalks Celery - chopped 4 - 6 cloves Garlic - minced 3 cups Uncooked rice 3 cups Chicken or Beef stock 2 tbsp Creole seasoning blend Several Dashes Tabasco Sauce 3 Bay Leaves 12 or so Green Onions In an 8-quart dutch oven, melt the butter and brown the sausage. Then add the ham and cook for a few minutes. Add the chicken and cook until it turns white. Add the onions (not the green ones), celery, and bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, then add the garlic. Cook another two minutes then add the rice. Stir until all of the rice is moist and coated. Then add the chicken stock, Creole seasoning blend and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and bake in the oven at 300 degrees F for 40 minutes. Don't remove the lid while cooking; you'll release the steam needed to cook the rice. While it's baking, peel the shrimp and put in a large bowl. Add some lemon juice, Tabasco Sauce, and a little Creole Seasoning Blend and mix together. Refrigerate. Slice up the green onions. When the 40 minutes are up, stir in the green onions, shrimp, and parsley, and put back in the oven for another 6 minutes or until the shrimp is pink (don't overcook!). Serve with crispy buttered French bread and beer. I highly recommend Dixie's Blackened Voodoo Lager. Credit where credit is due. This recipe was adapted from Frank Davis's recipe. URL: http://grove.ufl.edu/~bdclary/food/jambalaya.html Brian Clary