Paul Prudhomme's Poor Man's Jambalaya

I love this recipe. I made a batch for Señora and I tonight.

This recipe is from one of Paul Prudhomme’s cookbooks which is what I used. I did find it at Food.com so I could avoid typing all the ingredients and directions.

I should have taken the picture before we ate half of the skillet of jambalaya.

Paul Prudhomme’s Poor Man’s Jambalaya

Ingredients

Seasoning Mix

4 small bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne) – definitely on the spicy side – you can cut this down a little, but I don’t
1 teaspoon gumbo file (file powder) (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Jambalaya

4 tablespoons margarine (I use regular canola oil, Señora would have me cleaning the kitchen floor with a toothbrush if I brought margarine into the house)
6 ounces tasso or other smoked ham (about 1 1/2 cups) , diced
6 ounces smoked andouille sausages or kielbasa, diced (about 1 heaping cup)
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups uncooked rice (preferably converted)
4 cups beef stock or 4 cups chicken stock (if not salt-free, adjust salt)

Directions

Seasoning Mix: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Pre-chop all the vegetables and meat so they are ready to go
Use a large, heavy skillet, cast iron is best
Add oil to hot skillet
Add tasso and andouille, or ham and sausage, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add onions, celery, bell pepper, seasoning mix and garlic; stir and cook 10-12 minutes until well browned, scraping the bottom of the pan well
Stir in rice and cook 5 minutes, again scraping the pan bottom often
Add stock
Bring mixture to boil
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes, until rice is tender but still a bit crunchy; stir a bit towards the end of the cooking time
Remove bay leaves and serve.