As the owner of a Tampa Bay Catering company, I regularly cook for large groups of people when they celebrate special occasions or host parties. So when my friends host parties or we get together, I am often called on to help out with the cooking and planning. My friend Pat turned 40 last week and this past weekend, we celebrated with an all day party, complete with swimming sun, eating and drinking. The menu included grilled Buffalo chicken wings, chicken and pork cooked in La Caja China, Rochester style Garbage Plates and a keg of Shipyard Export. One of Pat's requests was that I cook my nearly famous Cajun jambalaya.
Cooking for a large group is easy when you have the right tools. My recipe has been perfected over the years but one key ingredient that makes it great is a large 4 gallon cast iron pot that cooks evenly and perfectly. A large batch of jambalaya can feed 20-30 people, it holds well and with a little practice, is a fairly easy dish to cook. If you're looking to entertain, jambalaya is a fantastic way to feed a crowd.
If you don't own a large cast iron pot with its own propane burner, then don't fret. Go to Wal-Mart and pick up a small 4 or 5 quart Lodge cast iron Dutch oven and you'll be set. Need a recipe? I'll share mine with you below. Keep in mind that this is a work in progress and can change without notice. This is a Cajun style jambalaya, most popular in South Louisiana.
-Kevin
Cajun Jambalaya
courtesy of Kevin Lacassin
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound smoked SAUSAGE, cut into cubes
- 1 pound boneless, skinless CHICKEN THIGHS
- 3 cups white RICE
- 2 slices BACON, chopped
- 2 medium yellow ONIONS, diced
- ½ green BELL PEPPER, diced
- 3 stalks CELERY, diced
- 4 green ONIONS, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
- 1 teaspoon each of SALT, BLACK PEPPER, CAYENNE, OREGANO and THYME
- 4 ½ cups CHICKEN STOCK (if homemade isn’t available, use Kitchen Basics)
- Cast iron DUTCH OVEN
METHOD
1. Heat a large (5 ¼ quart or larger) cast iron Dutch oven and fry the bacon pieces to render the grease, remove and drain on paper towels.
2. Brown the chicken in the bacon grease, remove and when cool, cut into strips.
3. Brown the sausage for several minutes, then add the trinity of onion, celery and green pepper and cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 or 15 minutes on low heat.
4. Add the chicken stock, bacon, chicken, Kitchen Bouquet, seasonings. Bring up to a boil, add rice, then stir all together.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer (low) and cover. Set a kitchen timer and do not touch the lid for 20 minutes! You will need to cook until the rice is soft and all liquid is absorbed.
6. Lift the lid and confirm that rice is almost completely cooked and all liquid has been absorbed, then add the chopped green onion. Fold in the onions to the mixture, turn off the burner and replace the lid and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
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