Walnut Grove Bluegrass Festival

JAMBALAYA

Jambalaya is a southern dish consisting of smoked meat (ham, sausage), rice, and vegetables: onions, Celery, bell pepper and tomato. It is best cooked in a cast iron pot, over high heat. The vegetables are added in three stages to add dimensions in texture and taste to the meal. This recipe will feed approx. 75+ people. Shrimp or crawfish can be used instead of chicken, and cayenne pepper can be used to kick the heat up a notch or two, but I do not use these when cooking for a group.

4 lbs of diced ham, seasoned with Cajun spices
6 lbs of smoked polish sausage cut up in slices, I prefer Farmer John Louisiana hot links, but polish sausage will work also
4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, seasoned with Cajun spices
6 lbs Uncle Ben’s converted rice
1 # 10 can of tomato sauce
1 # 10 can of diced tomatoes
2 bunches of celery diced
6 large onions chopped
8 bell peppers diced
4 49.5 oz cans of chicken broth
Cajun seasoning either “Tone” or “Shilling” available at Costco, Sam’s or Smart and Final
1 lb of butter or margarine
Bay leaves

In a hot iron pot, began melting 2 sticks of margarine, add about 1/3 of the chopped onions, and some Cajun spices, when the onions are translucent, add some of the celery and bell pepper, and after it has started to cook, add the ham. Keep working the sides and bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or scraper. After the ham is cooking, and the vegetables are starting to cook down, add the sausage. Keep working the pot and using high heat, scraping the tasty morsels from the sides and bottom of the pot. Add the chicken, and the second stage of onions, bell pepper, and celery. As they are cooking, start adding the tomato sauce.

I start with a 22 qt. Dutch oven, and by this time, it is full. The first stage of vegetables has cooked down into a sauce, and I no longer need the high heat. I transfer the mixture to a 30qt stockpot. I then add the the diced tomatoes with their juice, approx 6 lbs. of rice, and the four large cans of chicken broth. I attend the pot for approx 45 mins. while the rice cooks in the spicy mixture. During this time I stir occasionally to keep the rice from burning to the bottom of the pot, and add water as needed, as the rice starts soaking up the liquid. Several bay leaves can be added also for flavor. This should make approx 28 quarts of Jambalaya, which should easily feed 70+ people. It freezes and reheats well.

At the Festival we served 100, 8 oz servings.

Enjoy: George and Alice Finkle