Jambalaya is a cajun dish that has West African, French, and Spanish influences. It’s usually made with a combination of vegetables, sausage, chicken, and seafood. This recipe comes to us from one of our employees. It’s a family recipe passed down from Louisianan oil workers who joined the clean up efforts in Alaska, after 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
On the Ingredients
- Andouille sausages are smoked sausages originating in France. They’re usually made with pork, but you can get Andouille-style links made from other meats, such as chicken. In the US, these sausages are used heavily in Cajun cooking. They’re usually on the spicy side, with rich flavors that accompany the other elements of Cajun cuisine well.
- Cajun spice is a mixture of herbs and spices used in Cajun recipes. Cajun cuisine is a type of food developed by the Acadians, a francophone people expelled from Canada in the 1750s and 60s. They settled in Louisiana and brought delicious cooking traditions with them, which blended with Spanish and West African cuisines over time. The distinct flavor palate can be recreated with cajun seasoning, which is a mix of paprika, onion, garlic, marjoram, thyme, fennel seed, cumin, and cayenne. This spice is traditionally used with a base of celery, onion, garlic, and tomato. Other common additions are vegetables like sweet peppers and okra, seafood like shrimp and crawfish, and pork sausages.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
You can also add chicken, shrimp, and fish to this recipe. Okra is another common ingredient in jambalaya. For a vegan variant you can skip the seafood and use vegan sausages.
Jambalaya
4
servings15
minutes30
minutes45
minutesJambalaya is a cajun dish that has West African, French, and Spanish influences. It’s usually made with a combination of vegetables, sausage, chicken, and seafood. This recipe comes to us from one of our employees. It’s a family recipe passed down from Louisianan oil workers who joined the clean up efforts in Alaska, after 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Ingredients
3 onions (chopped)
1 whole bunch of celery (chopped)
5 peppers, any color, (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 packages Italian or Andouille sausage (cut into bite-sized pieces)
2 cans smoked oysters
2 cans chopped clams
8 oz can tomato purée (diced or crushed)
2 tsp oregano (or to taste)
1 tbsp cajun spice (or to taste)
salt to taste
Directions
- Coat the bottom of a pot with oil. Sauté onions, celery, and peppers until soft.
- Meanwhile, cook the sausages in a separate pan until brown.
- Pour off the excess fat and add the sausages to the veggies. Continue to cook on medium.
- Add the tomatoes and spices, cook on low for 10 minutes.
- Add oysters, clams, and garlic at the end, stirring carefully. Cook for 5 minutes more. Serve over rice.
