Jambalaya ( O-SO-GOOD )

Shrimp Jambalaya:

1 c Coarse chopped yellow onion

2 md Garlic cloves peeled and minced

1 c Chopped sweet green pepper

3/4 c Finely diced celery

4 tb Bacon drippings

3 tb Minced parsley

6 oz Smoked ham cut in 3/8-in cubes

1 lg Bay leaf; crumbled

1/2 ts Crumbled leaf thyme

1/4 ts Cayenne pepper

1 1/2 ts Salt (or to taste)

1 cn Tomatoes (1 lb, 14-oz)

1 cn Tomato sauce (8 oz)

1 3/4 c Cold water

1 3/4 c Uncooked converted rice

1 1/2 lb Medium shrimp, raw, shelled, deveined

SET A LARGE KETTLE (not made of iron) over moderate heat. Saute the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery in the bacon drippings for 8 to 10 minutes until they are limp and golden. Add the parsley, ham cubes, bay leaf, thyme & cayenne pepper. Saute, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the salt, tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce and water. Simmer the kettle, uncovered, for 5 minutes, breaking up any large clumps of tomatoes. Adjust the burner heat so that the mixture simmers gently. Stir in the rice, cover the kettle, and boil the rice for 40 minutes. Add the shrimp, tossing the mixture lightly to distribute them evenly. Cover the kettle and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes longer, until the shrimp are cooked through, the rice is done, and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Taste the jambalaya and add the cayenne pepper and salt, if needed.

Ham Jambalaya:

2 tablespoons oil

2 large onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cubed cooked ham

1 cup rice

1 bay leaf, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 to 4 drops hot pepper sauce

1 16 ounce can tomatoes

1/2 cup ham broth, water, or chicken broth

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven, add onions, green pepper, and garlic, and cook until lightly browned, stirring now and then. Add ham and rice and cook and stir until rice is well coated with oil. Add bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper sauce, tomatoes, and broth. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper sauce if needed.

Chicken or Turkey Jambalaya and also Seafood Jambalaya

Chicken or Turkey Jambalaya:

Substitute chopped cooked chicken or turkey for ham and use chicken or turkey broth.

Seafood Jambalaya:

Omit oil and ham. Saute 1/2 pound chorizo or hot pork sausage, sliced, until fat is rendered. Add onions, green pepper, and garlic and proceed as for Ham Jambalaya. Add 1 pound shrimp shelled, 1 pint oysters, 1 pound crab meat or rock lobster, cut in chunks, or a combination after adding water. Fish stock can be used instead of water.

Pork and Giblet Jambalaya

3 tbsp. cooking oil

1 lb. lean pork, cut in 1" pieces

1/2 lb. chicken giblets

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. red pepper

1 1/2 cups raw rice (long grain)

3 cups water

1 med. onion, chopped

1 stick celery, chopped

1 cup whole tomatoes, chopped, (use canned, drained well, if fresh unavailable)

1 clove garlic, mashed

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. oregano

2 tbsp. green onion, chopped

2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

1/4 cup sherry (optional)

In a large pot with a heavy bottom, combine pork, giblets, oil, salt and red pepper; cover with a tight fitting lid and cook over med. heat 1 1/2 to 2 hours until tender, stirring and adding water frequently to prevent sticking (just a little, this is evidently not the 3 cups of water given in the ingredients list.) Then add onion, garlic, and celery, cook about 5 minutes. Dish out meat and seasoning, reserve oil and drippings. Cut meat in small pieces ( or run it through a meat grinder). Set aside.

To oil and drippings, add tomatoes, cook about 5 minutes, add rice and coat well, stirring. Then add 3 cups water and when the mixture comes to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid (reduce heat) and cook about 25 minutes. (All liquid should be absorbed and rice tender.) Then add cooked meat mixture, butter, thyme and oregano. Cook 20 minutes longer; can stay covered till ready to serve, than add green onion, parsley and wine.

"Note" This is the way we recieved the recipe. Experiment with water.

Baked Jambalaya

2 tablespoons fat

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped green pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced fine

1 cup diced cooked chicken

1 cup diced cooked ham

12 tiny pork sausages, cut in pieces

2 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, undrained

1 cup raw white rice

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Melt the fat in a large skillet and add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook slowly, stirring often, until the onion and pepper are tender. Add the chicken, ham and sausages and cook five minutes. Add the tomatoes with their liquid, the rice, broth, thyme, parsley, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Turn the mixture into a large casserole. Cover and bake until the rice is tender, about one and one quarter hours.