Jambalaya

This delicious Cajun-spiced rice dish blends Andouille sausage, prawns, chicken, and fresh veg. It’s a regular staff lunch at Sausage Man Headquarters and it’s a staple New Orleans dish with roots in West African, Spanish, and French cuisine. The name itself means ‘mixed up’—a perfect reflection of its bold, spicy fusion of cultures and flavours.

Serves

6-8 people

Ingredients

• 1.5 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1 250g pack of Sausage Man bacon (lardons or streaky bacon) 
• 2 250g packs of Sausage Man andouille, sliced 0.5cm thick 
• 450g chicken thigh, skinless boneless, cut into 2.5cm pieces *
• 18 prawns/shrimp , raw, large, (peeled, with or without tails) 
• 4 garlic cloves , minced 
• 1 tbsp (15g) butter 
• 1 large onion diced 
• 3 celery ribs diced 
• 2 green capsicum / bell pepper diced 
• 2 cups long grain rice , uncooked
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth / stock 
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 300g crushed canned tomato 
• 1 cup green onions sliced

Creole Seasoning Mix: 

• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme) 
• 4 tsp sweet paprika 
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp onion powder 
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder (adjust spice to taste) 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Topping

• Chopped fresh parsley
• Thinly sliced green onions
• Hot sauce
• Lime
• Yoghurt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C fan bake 
2. Heat oil in a very large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat.
3. Add bacon lardons, cook for 30 seconds (to start fat melting), then add andouille. You might need to do this in batches to avoid over crowding the pan, adding too much at once can lead the sausage to sweat rather than brown. Cook until sausages are golden – about 3 minutes – then remove and set aside. 
4. Add chicken into the pan and cook until golden (doesn’t need to cook inside), then add to bowl with bacon. Again you may want to do this in batches. 
5. Sear prawns in the same pan using all the delicious fat you’ve rendered from the bacon, andouille and chicken. About 1.5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a separate bowl (reserve until later).
6. Add butter, then garlic, onion, celery and capsicum. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until slightly softened.
7. Add the tomato paste and cook off to add depth of flavour, you want the paste to change to a deep red colour. It should take about 5 mins, stirring constantly. 
8. Add rice, stir to coat grains in oil.
9. Add chicken broth, canned tomato, thyme and Seasoning Mix.
10. Stir well, then add chicken, sausages and bacon (including all liquid).
11. When you see bubbles across most of the surface, stir well once more. Ensure all rice is submerged (don’t be afraid to add a little water if needed), cover with lid, and transfer to oven. 
12. Bake 25 minutes.** Remove lid and check rice by eating a few grains (careful, very hot!) If the rice is just about done go to next step. If rice grains are still firm in the centre, continue to cook, checking rice every 5 mins.
13. Add prawns/shrimp and green onions, QUICKLY (but gently!) stir through, cover with lid, and return to oven for just 3 minutes (just to heat prawns).
14. Remove from oven, stir gently to fluff, then serve, garnished with more green onions if desired.

Recipe Notes

*We recommend using thighs for flavour and because they dry out less than breast. It’s often difficult to find skinless boneless thighs in German supermarkets but it’s easy enough to debone and skin at home. Tutorial here

**The cook time depends on a lot of things, so use your instinct here, if the rice is taking longer just go with it and wait until the grains are soft but holding shape with a little bite. The jambalaya should be juicy and wet, not dry and stodgy nor swimming in liquid.

Hot tip: Throw the leftovers into a burrito wrap and enjoy the next day!