This year for my birthday, my sweetie bought me an enameled cast iron pot. It’s several months later, and I’m still beaming. Many girls want diamonds. Me…. shiny red cookware. Suddenly, I had to find new recipes to showcase my new friend. Jambalaya was one of those recipes that fit the bill. The inspiration to cook jambalaya came from a Cajun party at my church. Our senior pastor being from Louisiana, they went crazy with the theme. It was a blast. One of my favorite things was the Jambalaya that they served. That evening, it became my new goal to find a way to make a good jambalaya at home. I have tried it on the stove top, and using a slow cooker, and have played around with it to suite our tastes. I might get a lecture about it not being totally authentic, but seeing as I did not grow up in Louisiana, it does not hurt my feelings at all 🙂 I have tried it with shrimp and it’s great, but today I have none. I am also using a pretty spicy andouille, but there are some not so spicy ones available. If you can’t find andouille, or do not like a lot of spice, just use any smoked sausage.
Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.