Jambalaya

Folks, this jambalaya has smoked sausage, chicken thighs and shrimp, and we’re bringing them all together with a little cowboy Cajun seasoning. Add a skillet full of vegetables, some peppers for heat and crushed tomatoes, and you’ve got a hearty supper ready to spoon over rice.

I remember watching Justin Wilson on the television at Grandma’s house. He talked about the trinity—bell pepper, onion and celery—and that stuck with me. Those vegetables are the starting point here, but I’m going to cowboy it up a little with jalapeño, serrano peppers and some of our Mesquite Smoke Seasoning.

I’m cooking this in a big, seasoned wok, but a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven will work, too. Give yourself plenty of room for the meat, vegetables and tomatoes, especially if you plan to stir the rice into the pot at the end.

Heat the avocado oil over medium heat and add the sliced smoked sausage. Let it brown a little, stirring occasionally, then lift it out onto a large plate. Leave that good cooking fat in the skillet. We’re going to use it to build flavor as the rest of the ingredients go in.

Our seasoning blend combines paprika, Mesquite Smoke Seasoning, Mexican oregano, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. If you don’t have our mesquite blend, use your favorite all-purpose seasoning.

I like chicken thighs here because they have plenty of flavor. Cut them into bite-sized pieces, then toss them with the seasoning until they’re coated well. Add a little more oil to the skillet if needed, and cook the chicken until it reaches 165°F. Lift it out and set it with the sausage.

The shrimp only need a short turn in the skillet before we set them aside, too. They’ll finish cooking when everything comes together in the tomato sauce.

Melt the butter in the remaining oil and stir in the celery, onion, bell peppers, jalapeño and serrano peppers. We’re using green, red and yellow bell peppers, so there’s plenty of color in this batch.

Let the vegetables cook until tender, stirring occasionally. They’ll pick up the flavor left behind by the sausage and seasoned chicken. If you prefer less heat, cut back on the serrano peppers or leave them out.

Return the sausage, chicken and shrimp to the skillet, then stir in the crushed tomatoes. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through and everything is hot. Taste before adding salt and pepper, since the sausage and seasoning already bring some salt to the dish.

You can spoon this jambalaya over hot cooked rice, or stir the rice right into the skillet. I like mixing it in so the rice gets coated with all that good sauce.

For the mixed-in version, use 6 to 8 cups of cooked rice. If that thickens things up more than you like, stir in a little warmed chicken broth until it’s the consistency you want. Let everything heat through, then pull up a stool and get yourself a plate.

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