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| Perfect for Fathers' Day: salad of Classic Jambalaya with rice, seafood and meat, and loads of vegetables 'I was a bit iffy about cold jambalaya but it was really fantastic.' Taster |
Jambalaya, a popular highly seasoned rice dish from the deep south of the United States, is normally a hot dish but...hey, it's summer! And also, this one from 67goingon50 is designed for a Fathers' Day celebration. In June.
It's one of the blog's popular Triple Duty dishes, with a vegan base and a choice of meat, fish or vegetarian/vegan protein. All three versions can be made from one base. Or choose one version or two, divide the base accordingly and add preferred protein in the appropriate weight.
Jambalaya is a true multi-cultural dish, influenced by West African, French, Spanish and Native American cuisine.
Classic jambalaya includes bell peppers, celery, spices and tomato. Protein is usually pork/bacon (these days also chicken), smoked sausage and seafood. But like its Spanish sister, paella, Jambalaya is for all budgets...stick to one protein or avoid them altogether and just add lots of vegetables.
67's Jambalaya Salad starts the day before it's needed and does take a bit of work. But it's so worth it! It's perfect for a family gathering; get the best chefs into the kitchen and have a good natter while putting it all together!
Cost: depends on what's in your fridge but say, £10-12 if starting from scratch (Cut costs by using leftovers and taking advantage of M&S 3-for £??? offers on deli pots of artichoke hearts, sunblush tomatoes, olivesf or prawns, calamari, antipasti - )
Serves: a crowd
Ingredients:
1.5 cups raw brown rice
Jambalaya Sauce
1 tb olive oil
1 large onion, pref sweet
2 med cloves garlic
1 large bell pepper
2 large sticks peeled celery
3 tb parsley
3/4 cup fresh corn
50gm/2oz finely chopped mushrooms
large bay leaf
1 tsp cayenne pepper OR 1.5 tsp chilli flakes (67 tested M&S adobe chilli flakes which added a lovely layer of smoky heat)
2x400gm28oz tins tomatoes
90gm/3.7oz smoked* or regular tomato paste (67 tested M&S smoked tomato paste which heightened interest; you may need more paste with other brands)
Tabasco or other hot sauce (opt)
The following amounts are for the full amount of the base; divide - or not - according to choice
Total: max 1/2 kilo/16 oz mixed bacon/pork or chicken, lamb, spicy sausage or pastrama/spiced beef or prawns
67 used:
3 slices smoked bacon (pork or turkey)
one roasted chicken breast
1 Toulouse or merguez lamb sausage
4oz cubed cooked pork or pastrami or spiced beef
and
a handful each of:
cooked prawns (opt)
cooked calamari (opt)
cooked cod in generous bite sized cubes
(If not using any of the above, make up the weight with vegetarian options below)
Garnish: fresh parsley stalks or chives and lemon slices
SEAFOOD JAMBALAYA SALAD:
Total: 1/4 to 1/2 kilo/8-16 oz of any or all of:
prawns
calamari
white fish
salmon
any other quick cooking green veg: green beans, mange tout, snap peas etc
fresh or dried dill (opt)
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN JAMBALAYA SALAD:
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| Vegetarian Jambalaya Salad: 67 used veggie frankfurters, haricot beans, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, sun-blush toms & toasted pumpkin seeds |
Total: 1/4-1/2 kilo/8-16 oz of any/all:
smoked firm tofu
cooked, spicy vegetarian or vegan sausages
1/2 cup drained rinsed beans, black or haricot
handful of artichoke hearts OR olives OR sun-blush tomatoes
handful toasted pumpkin seeds
150gm/5.2 oz mushrooms, thickly sliced; sautéed & in olive oil & lemon juice
Method:
Start the day before.
- Cook rice according to instructions; spread out on a tray; cool at least 1 hour; clingfilm & refrigerate
- Jambalaya Sauce:
- Heat a large heavy bottomed pan over high heat; add oil
- Dice onions medium fine, add to pan, reduce heat to med high, fry without allowing to brown - about 8 mins
- Top, tail & de-seed pepper & peel celery; chop both in med dice. Grate garlic. Add to onions with a bit more oil if needed; stir 1 min; add parsley, corn & diced mushrooms
- Turn heat down to med low; partially cover the pan; sweat the veg 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally
- Add tins of tomatoes and tomato paste; add a bit of water to tins to loosen tomatoes left behind & add liquid to pot; sprinkle over cayenne pepper or chilli flakes; add bay leaf; stir
- Bring to the boil; cover, simmer 30-35 mins, stirring occasionally
- At end of cooking, if tomatoes are not broken down, bash with a spoon. Taste. Season generously with salt & pepper; add more chilli flakes or tabasco, to taste. Set aside.
4. When ready to serve, add proteins as listed, in the measures appropriate to the amount of rice
5. Garnish with fresh parsley, chives or lemon slices
Comments:
'I wasn't sure about this but found it fantastic. The rice was beautifully flavoured and moist without clumping together. There were lots of interesting additions; you could double the rice to no ill effect.' Retired writer.
Tips:
- leftover sauce freezes well and can be served hot or cold over pasta or potatoes
- leftover jambalaya can be gently reheated with extra sauce for a hot dish
Note: 67 cobbled together this recipe from various favourite sources: Epicurious and Food & Wine, both of which 67 recommends. The web is very helpful in sorting out proportions of ingredients.
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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises. It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.
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