Cooking Lesson #51— Instant Pot Jambalaya

Instant Pot Jambalaya

How you doin’? This is our 86th day in captivity and I am beginning to know how all the wild animals felt at Tiger King’s Ranch. Okay, I really don’t feel all that trapped as Joan and I are coming to the office every day—an empty office. Things are improving a little bit. Here was some of the good news.

• I needed a haircut or was going to have to start braiding. Who am I kidding? I don’t have that much hair left. I tried working a little on the sides, but I’m afraid I’m a better chef than a barber. I thought I was going have to resort to putting a bowl on my head and trimming abound the bottom, but just then Joan came to my rescue. Who would have realized she was such a good stylist? I brought in my electric beard razor and she gave me a great cut… thanks Joan.
• Wells Fargo processed our PPP loan last month. I was more than a little irritated to hear that Harvard got $10 million in PPP money when they have a $40 billion+ endowment fund invested or sitting in a bank collecting interest. That’s about the same for all the high-priced universities in the country—maybe not $40 billion, but close to it. They should not be taking these loans… they are for small businesses.
• Lastly, I haven’t done the best job of social-distancing from the dining room table and my jeans are getting a little tighter every day—maybe that’s from the Instant Pot Cheesecake I made last night. I made it with Neufchâtel instead of cream cheese, so it was lower in calories. My friend Henry had sage advice to share with me. “If you wear your jeans 5 days in a row, they become baggy and it looks like you’re losing weight.” Good advice from an expert.

Okay, thanks for listening, I feel a little better getting that off my chest. Now back to my Instant Pot and to today’s recipe. We had dinner at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans several years ago at the chef’s table in the kitchen. We sampled about 12 things the chef had to offer. One was Jambalaya—one of the fine Cajun dishes N.O. is known for. Jambalaya was one of the first recipes I converted over to my Instant Pot.

Some of you may not be familiar with Jambalaya. It is a Louisiana meat, seafood, and rice dish. When cooked in an Instant Pot it is quick and easy.
 
I start by browning the ham, sausage and chicken first and then stir it in only at the end. That way you infuse the rice with its flavor yet keep the protein from turning rubbery under pressure. Adding the cooked shrimp at the end also allows it to keep from getting over-cooked! By the way, even the leftovers gently reheated are great.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  1 hours 20 minutes
Yield:  8 1-1/2 cup servings
 
Ingredients
3-pounds bone-in smoked ham hocks, saw cut into 1-inch rounds
6-cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces Andouille sausage cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (use the really good Andouille)
6 ounces chicken thigh meat 2-inch cubes (you can also use duck meat)
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 medium green bell pepper seeded and chopped
1 medium stalk celery chopped
3 garlic cloves diced
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (see recipe below)
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1-1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice (regular NOT instant rice)
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2-1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces medium-size cooked shrimp (41-60 count)
4 Scallions thinly sliced
 
Instructions

1. Place the ham hocks and 6 cups of chicken stock in the Instant Pot.  Lock the lid. Cook on Manual HIGH pressure for 45 minutes, then allow a NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE for 15 minutes followed by manual release of the remaining pressure. Remove the meat and set it aside, discarding the liquid. 
2. Remove the ham from the bone and shred; set it aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in the inner pot at on Sauté. Add the sausage slices, and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
4. Repeat the same process with the chicken thighs cooking all the way through about 7 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
5. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. 
6. Add the Cajun seasoning, thyme, and rice, and stir until the rice is well coated in the oil. Press CANCEL to stop the cooking. 
7. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the stock, and salt. Stir with a spatula freeing any food particles sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. 
8. Lock the lid. Cook on Manual HIGH pressure for 8 minutes, then allow a NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE for 5 minutes followed by manual release of the remaining pressure. 
9. Stir the rice mixture, then stir in the shrimp, scallions, reserved ham, sausage and chicken. Replace the Instant Pot lid and allow the ingredients to heat through for 5 minutes in the residual heat.
10. Scoop and serve in heated bowls. Enjoy!

                                                  Cajun Seasoning Blend
When your recipes call for Cajun seasoning blend and you don’t have it in your pantry, try this scratch recipe for the best results.

Prep time:  2 minutes
 
Ingredients
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne powder
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated salt
 
Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Store in an airtight container like a clean spice jar.

 
ChefSecret:  Make it your own by adding some additional spices and herbs to your own taste, i.e. cumin, coriander, thyme, white pepper, dried basil, celery seed, dried jalapeño powder, superhot ghost chili powder or smoked chili powder.

#Jambalaya #Entrees #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #InstantPot #ComfortFoods #NewOrleans #CajunSpice

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