So technically jambalaya doesn’t have red beans. It also doesn’t have okra. Is this some bastardized faux Creole combination of gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya? Bingo. You get two gold stars.
But on the technical side, what this recipe did do traditionally (this is Amish Creole food so bear with me) is start with Andouille, add vegetables including tomatoes, and finish the rice in the same pot. I’m told by Wikipedia that a Cajun version wouldn’t use tomatoes, but the creole version has seafood. So somehow I’ve also managed to bastardize the distinctive elements separating creole and Cajun jambalayas as well. Neato.
Let’s just do this thing, shall we?
—Brown the Andouille in a heavy-bottomed casserole—Le Creuset or cast-iron pot would be perfect.
—Pull the Andouille out and add onions, bell peppers, jalapeno (or combo of peppers with heat), and garlic to commingle with the Andouille oil. Add chopped fresh tomatoes to cook out, followed by okra. All of these vegetables are available at our farmer’s markets—holy summer!
—Season. This can get complicated, but we found a combination of paprika, cayenne, fresh thyme, and dried oregano did a bang up job.
—Add cooked beans with cooking liquid. We simmered our red beans with a few dried chilis for a little extra sumpin sumpin.
—Stir in rice with enough water or stock to get the job done. We used under twice as much liquid to rice because there was some bean cooking liquid in the fray.
—Cover and let magic happen. Check after about 20-25 minutes to make sure you’re not overcooking your rice. Voila.
Also, in the true Cajun fashion, if you can get your hands on some nutria (maybe by the side of the road?), make sure to throw that in the pot as well.
_Matt
