Creole-Style Shrimp Jambalaya

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Creole-Style Shrimp Jambalaya

New Orleans cuisine has a clear French influence, but the city was also ruled by Spain for a time. Creole jambalaya originates from the French Quarter of New Orleans, in the original European sector. It was an attempt by the Spanish to make paella in the “New World”, where saffron was not readily available due to import costs. Tomatoes became the substitute for saffron. As time went on, French influence became strong in New Orleans, and spices from the Caribbean changed this New World paella into a unique dish. In modern Louisiana, the dish has evolved along a variety of different lines. Creole  jambalaya, or “red” jambalaya as it is called by Acadian-Creoles (mistakenly known as Cajuns), is found primarily in and around New Orleans, where it is simply known as ‘jambalaya’. City Creole “red” jambalaya includes tomatoes, whereas rural jambalaya does not.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces Shrimp, peeled, deveined and tailed
• 3/4 cup long grain white rice
• 1 Spanish Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 Celery stock, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons stock concentrate (beef, chicken, seafood)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 green onion stocks, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

In a stock pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and half the bell pepper. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice, cumin, chili powder and the cayenne pepper. Cook for about 1 minute stirring to toast the spices.

Add the caned tomatoes with their juices, the stock concentrate and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Season the shrimp with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the shrimp and the remaining half of the bell pepper to the rice and stir. Cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and opaque in the center.

Serve the jambalaya topped with the thinly sliced green onions.

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