At most of the parties that I help people entertain, I am pressed for time and some dishes I want to cook fresh to maintain their integrity and taste. My shrimp & sausage jambalaya is much quicker than most jambalaya dishes with the use of converted rice; it shaves about 20 minutes off the traditional recipe using regular rice. I catered a comfort menu of soul food and southern foods and I knew that Jambalaya needed to be served as one of the many small bites menu that my client wanted. In keeping with the “small bites” menu, I served the Jambalaya in small dishes so guests won’t fill up on just this one dish so they can save room for the other dishes on the buffet table like shrimp & grits, macaroni & cheese, pulled pork sliders and mini chicken & waffles.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. Spicy Sausage like Louisiana hot links, sliced lengthwise and then cut into half moons
4 Celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups of frozen assorted colored pepper strips
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more later if you want it spicier)
2 -14 oz. cans of roasted chopped tomatoes in juice
1 ½ cups of dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups of quick cooking converted rice
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped green onions or chives for garnish
Directions
- In a heavy large pot like a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the sausage, celery and onion and let it brown and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add the peppers, garlic, thyme, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, tomatoes, wine and chicken stock and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, bring it down to simmer for 5 minutes
- Add the rice and shrimp stir and cover for 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked and absorbed most of the liquid; adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve into bowls and garnish with chopped green onions or chives. Serves 8
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