Recipe: Dutch Oven Jambalaya

I was first introduced to 'true' Jambalaya during my years in Alabama.  There were several cajun style restaurants I liked to visit and I always made a point to sample their jambalaya.  Most versions had some combination of smoked spicy andouille sausage, fresh seafood, chicken, and rice. To be completely honest, most of them were way too spicy for my taste, but for lack of a better term, I am quite the wuss when it comes to spice.

With the birth of my first child, the amount of time I had available to prepare dinner greatly decreased.  As such I began searching for meals that involved limited preparation (ie. less than 20 minutes) and limited attention while cooking.  

One of my favorite tools for meals like this is the dutch oven (cast iron, thick walled, casserole pot). I personally use a Le Creuset "French oven."  These can be quite pricey, upwards of $275, so I recommend you make your way to a place like Marshall's and score one for $50 like I did.  I highly recommend owning a cast iron oven like this as they seem to make any casserole type dish that much better.  

This version of jambalaya does its best to incorporate everything I love about the dish, but in a time sensitive way.  It is my opinion that cooking is an art... which is my way of saying that I don't have exact amount of any of the following ingredients.

The ingredients:

3 cups of rice
6 cups of water
1-2 red sweet peppers, chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 chicken breasts, cubed.
1 pound andouille sausage
2 tsp of cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
optional ingredients (shrimp, scallops, etc.)


I. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat.

II. Add chopped onion and sweet pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add 1 tsp of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.  Continue cooking until soft (5 additional minutes).

III. Add andouille sausage and cook for 5 minutes.  As sausage is cooking, break up into small chunks.
Once sausage is sufficiently broken apart, add chicken and final 1 tsp of cayenne pepper.  Cook an additional 5 minutes until chicken is no longer visibly raw (It will have plenty of time to cook throughout).

IV. Add 3 cups of rice and stir until rice is coated.  Add the water to the pot and stir until everything is well mixed.  If adding seafood, place it into the water now.  I recommend shrimp and scallops or perhaps even fish such as salmon.

V. Seal the pot with its lid, reduce heat to medium low, and let cook for 35 minutes.  DO NOT lift the lid at any point.

VI. After 35 minutes, remove from heat and enjoy.

Note: If the cooking heat is a bit higher than it should have been, rice may start to burn on the bottom of the pan.  This won't ruin the dish, but you may want to avoid serving the bottom layer.

                            Sorry about the partially eaten dish.  We were too hungry to wait.