Jambalaya?

Typically, Jambalaya is very rice-centric, i tend to steer away from rice anytime i have the opportunity to use bread to soak up the goodness instead. So the ratio of rice to liquid in my version of Jambalaya puts it closer to a soup or stew really, but the flavors are all there, and i have to say that this is one of my new favorite things to make. Because of the duck fat and spicy smoky flavor of the andouille sausage, one spoonful of this broth has enough oomf to knock your proverbial socks off.

Shopping list:

Lets start with the politically incorrect bits shall we?

2 Duck Legs
2 Duck Breasts
4 Andouille Sausages
1 Pound Peeled and de-veined Shrimp (the size is up to you)





Next, from the colorful section of the market:

1 Large Yellow Onion
3 Large Carrots
4 stalks of Celery
2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Orange or Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Red Jalapeno
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Bunch of Green Onions
1 big handful or Flat Leaf, Italian Parsley
5 Sprigs of Thyme
1 Bunch of Mustard Greens
2 Bay Leaves




And then....Everything else....

2 Large (about 40oz) containers of Chicken Stock
2 cups of uncooked Rice ( i have made this a few times with different varieties of rice and the brown basmati was my favorite)
1 Beer (go with a brown ale or a stout, something heavy with a lot of flavor) I chose Newcastle!



You will also need about 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a bunch of salt and pepper.

Ok...First things first.......

Dice the Yellow onion, Celery, Bell peppers, and Carrots Fairly uniform in size and Chop the Garlic and Red Jalapeno nice and small. These are all goin in the pot at the same time so just put 'em in a big pile and set them aside.



Next Slice the Andouille into quarter inch thick pieces and throw those to the side as well.



Now that all that chopping is done, this is where i would open one of the extra Newcastles that i have in my fridge because i bought a whole six pack even though i only needed one.....But you are welcome to skip that step, if you are boring.
Ok, back to it...... Lay the duck out and salt and pepper both sides. Don't be afraid of the salt! i guarantee there is nothing you can do at this stage that will make the end result too salty.
In A Large pot on Med/high heat throw down the olive oil and let it get nice and hot, Arrange the duck skin side down so that all four pieces touch the bottom of the pan. If you don't hear a sizzle when you set the first one down....give the oil a little more time. Once you put the duck down....just let it be for a few minutes, dont move it around.



After a few minutes, Lift up one piece and check for color on the skin, you want a nice brown layer of goodness. If you have that, flip them all over and brown the other side. Once you have a nice sear on both sides, take the duck out of the pot, set it aside, and drop the Andouille in the duck fat! Warning....this is gonna smell good.




At this point you are essentially deep frying your smoked spicy sausage in duck fat, which is why the end result tastes so good. OK, So after about a two minutes or so throw in that big pile of veggies that you chopped and give it a big stir. throw in a teaspoon of salt and let those cook down for a bit.



After the veggies soften up a bit and a the onions start to get a little translucent, nestle the duck back in among the contents of the pot, add the two Bay Leaves, and then poor the Entire 12 oz beer over the top of it all. Reduce the heat to just above medium, and throw a lid on the whole situation.





Ok, now back to the cutting board: Pull the Thyme off of its little branches and give it a good chop, and then chop the green onions, Italian parsley, and Mustard green as well.




The contents of your pot on the stove needs about 15-20 minutes after you put the lid on, so if you are a fast chopper, have a seat, or do some dishes. After about 15 minutes lift the lid and throw in the thyme, the rice, and the chicken stock. I like to fill the pan up pretty full with the stock at this point but reserve a cup or two for the next step. Simmer with the lid on for about ten minutes and then remove the lid and pull out the duck and set it aside. Let the liquid simmer for another 10 minutes, a good amount of the liquid will evaporate.
During those 10 minutes, pull the Duck meat from the bones, cut or peel off the pieces of fat, and then chop the duck, and add it back to the pot.



Next, add the rest of the chicken stock (i typically also add in a cup or two of water at this point, because i prefer a lot of broth) and then stir in the green onions, parsley and mustard greens.
At this point things are going to vary a little bit depending on your rice, so give it a little test, if it feels too firm, give it a few more minutes. Once you add the shrimp you cannot give the pot any more heat so make sure the rice is where you want it.



Give the broth a little taste test, it definitely will need more salt at this point, how much salt is up to you, and i would also give it a health dose of some fresh ground black pepper.

We are Almost there!

As soon as the mustard greens soften up, and the rice is cooked, it is pretty much done. Turn off the heat completely and stir in the shrimp. Let it all sit on the stove for 4 or 5 minutes, and the hot liquid will cook the shrimp through without overdoing them. Rubbery shrimp are not delicious...i promise. And that's it...

There! Done!

Spoon it into a bowl and throw a piece of bread in there, Enjoy!