Zatarain's Jambalaya

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finchlake

finchlake

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Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix

Eckrich Smoked Sausage

Sierra Nevada Porter

Homebrewtalk.com



It just don't get no better than that.

AHAEEEE
 
Just had that Jambalaya myself! REALLY good for a box meal. Definitely gonna do it again.
 
I think if it says Zatarain's it's good. It's our go to meal. We keep several boxes around for when we don't wnat to cook a big meal, or company shows unexpected.
 
I make this once a week!!! Its awesome. I use a little bit of grapseed oil thats super garlicy and rachets up the flavor quite a bit. Any spicy oil does the same. Hot Sechuan Wok oil would do even better.

If you haven't tried the Gumbo do so. I use a whole Eckridge Smoked Sausage link and a can of whole chunk chicken and some corn. Its even better with auduille sausage.

:rockin:
 
About a month ago I stopped at the grocery store and they had the Dirty rice and Jambalaya in precooked bags, one minute in the microwave and they were ready to eat. Dam good too I might add. I have never seen them since, I was just on their website (FYI lots of good recipes there) and no mention either. I did see that they now have frozen entrees, I will have to have SWMBO look for them next time she goes shopping.
I like to add some onions, green pepper & celery to my Zatarains Jambalaya and some good smoked sausage or even chicken or shrimp. I think I mixed a dirty rice and jambalaya added veges and meat and it rocked.
 
+1. Zatarain's is reaaly godd stuff, esp when you consider it comes from a box. I just wish I could convince SWMBO to let me use shrimp instead of sausage. She hates seafood......:(
 
I can't find the boxes of Gumbo without the rice in it. That was always my favorite. I'd ad a lb. of fried hamburger to it and ladle it over rice.. HEAVEN.

We eat dirty rice or the jambalaya at least once a week. ONLY the z.
 
Dude said:
I can't find the boxes of Gumbo without the rice in it. That was always my favorite. I'd ad a lb. of fried hamburger to it and ladle it over rice.. HEAVEN.

We eat dirty rice or the jambalaya at least once a week. ONLY the z.
Click to expand...


$2.00 a box or $1.66 if you buy 12
7142909542.jpg



Dam Impulse shopping, I will have enough in the Pantry for a year, Might give some to Dad for Christmas. will try their RootBeer for SWMBO
Order Placed :Saturday 15 December, 2007 Order Number :Z38076

Cat # Product Name Qty x Price = Line Total
------------------------------------------------------
7142902255 ZATARAIN'S® Hush Puppy Mix 1 x $1.80 = $1.80
7142909523 ZATARAIN'S® Jambalaya Mix 3 x $2.00 = $6.00
7142908520 ZATARAIN'S® Gumbo Pasta Dinner Mix 1 x $2.00 = $2.00
7142909101 ZATARAIN'S® Gumbo Mix with Rice 1 x $2.00 = $2.00
7142909542 ZATARAIN'S® Gumbo Base (no Rice) 2 x $2.00 = $4.00
7142902160 ZATARAIN'S® French Bread Stuffing 1 x $2.00 = $2.00
7142909726 ZATARAIN'S® Fire Roasted Vegetables & Rice Mix 1 x $2.00 = $2.00
7142909535 ZATARAIN'S® Dirty Rice Mix 2 x $2.00 = $4.00
7142909621 ZATARAIN'S® Dirty Brown Rice Mix 1 x $2.00 = $2.00
7142902437 ZATARAIN'S® Seasoned Fish-Fri 1 x $1.80 = $1.80
7142909714 ZATARAIN'S® Smothered Chicken Rice Mix 1 x $2.00 = $2.00
7142909595 ZATARAIN'S® Crab Cake Mix 1 x $2.25 = $2.25
7142902402 ZATARAIN'S® Wonderful Fish-Fri 1 x $1.80 = $1.80
7142902434 ZATARAIN'S® Wonderful Chicken-Fri 1 x $1.95 = $1.95
7142909865 ZATARAIN'S® White Beans & Rice 1 x $2.00 = $2.00
7142902622 ZATARAIN'S® Crispy Seasoned Fish-Fri 1 x $1.80 = $1.80
7142909182 ZATARAIN'S® Dirty Rice With Cheese 1 x $2.00 = $2.00
71429005037 ZATARAIN'S® Ready-To-Serve Jambalaya Rice 1 x $2.25 = $2.25
71429005068 ZATARAIN'S® Ready-To-Serve Red Beans & Rice 1 x $2.25 = $2.25
7142902178 ZATARAIN'S® Root Beer Extract 1 x $1.80 = $1.80
 
My wife and I will one ever two weeks make up their mexican rice or spanish rice or whatever and then throw in some chicken, corn, beans and tomatoes ourselves. ****ing good.
 
Mutilated1 said:
I'm making that for dinner tomorrow night, shrimp are on sale at Winn-Dixie... 2 Boxes gumbo mix, 2 pounds of shrimp... yumm
Click to expand...

It should be kick-ass gumbo. If you got auduille, sausage and ham. It'll be the winning trifecta. Shrimp, sausage, ham. OMGIFG

:rockin:
 
I'll second that. I like to get the weber going, grill up some sausage, shrimp, and chicken, then just throw the rice (usually 2 boxes) and all into the crockpot for an hour. Add some lousiana hot sauce, and you're set.
 
We used to eat Zatarain's quite a bit; tasty little devils. We don't do them so much anymore due to the extremely high sodium though. I would wake up and have, for lack of a better pun, sausage hands the next morning from all the salt and water, haha.
 
Since this section is on "Cooking and Pairing". What to you drink with a spicy food like Zatarain's Gumbo, Dirty Rice or Jambalaya.

Me, I like a dark robust drink like a Porter.

Commerical:

Abiata Turbodog or Sierra Nevada Porter

Homebrew:

Black Cat Landcaster Ale Clone
 
I put 2 or 3 chicken wings in the pot and get them good and browned and then just make the jambalaya on top of them like usual. I throw the andoulli in about 5 minutes from the end so it doesn't get all water logged.

I like a Red Stripe with my jambalaya.
 
That's interesting about holding off on the sausage until the last 5 minutes. I usually put the sausage in first and bring it to a hard boil to get the oils out of the sausage. After the sausage is boiling good I had the Mix..

I'll give your method a try next time.
 
Oh man, the Cheese Jambalaya with some smoked sausage and some Habanero Tobasco rocks. We make that a couple times a month at my place. During the winter their gumbo is 2nd only to my wife's chili.
 
I made a big pot full of the Jambalays Sunday afternoon, a pound of smoked sausage and a pound of large shrimp, added a couple onions, green pepper & celery.
Ate it while watching the packer game and with a couple pumpkin ales.

Have to try the cheese one next.
 
I have to let you know right now I'm eating jambo w/ Chicago Goose Island IPA. What a match!!!

Mmmm, Mmm, dats Gooood!!! - Justin Wilson :D

:mug:
 
MriswitH said:
We used to eat Zatarain's quite a bit; tasty little devils. We don't do them so much anymore due to the extremely high sodium though. I would wake up and have, for lack of a better pun, sausage hands the next morning from all the salt and water, haha.
Click to expand...

They have it all with 25% less sodium now, cant even tell by the taste
7142909980.jpg
 
With all do respect ......

Doing it out of a box... is shamefull... you dudes brew beer.. some AG brewers... Like brewing beer... if you can boil water you can make a mean jambalaya.
ahhay

I will post my recipe ...soon... I use this pot.
 
I don't know, man....I'm all about making things from scratch too....sometimes I will separately grill chicken, sausage, and shrimp, then throw it in the crockpot for a fe hours with water, rice, and spices. Turns out good ;) Problem is, it's expensive and time consuming. Sometimes something like this is just the magic bullet :D
 
IMO, rice and spices in one box aren't that much different than rice and spices from...seperate boxes. We add the meats ourselves so it's 'almost' fresh/homemade. I like the taste of Zatarains but IIRC years ago when I checked it had a ton of MSG so I stopped buying it.

I have some leftover chicken and some store-brand hot italian sausage (it's really good fresh sausage from the butcher) and plan on making some jambalaya tonight (it's why I searched/found this thread).

If the chicken wasn't already cooked I'd prob do something like:

Saute sliced (pre-cooked) sausage in pan...set sausage aside.
Brown chicken in same pan...set aside.
Saute trinity in same pan.
Add minced garlic and saute 30-60 seconds.
Add chicken stock, diced tomato, cajun spices, herbs (oregano, thyme), bay leaf, maybe a little Tabasco.
Let that simmer a bit then add chicken, sausage.
Let that simmer a bit then add shrimp.
Simmer 3-4 minutes and cut heat.
Serve over rice.

And if you like an 'ethnic' twist to it...try Paella. It's basically the Spanish version of jambalaya. Love 'em both...great 'family get together' meals imo. We often do one for Christmas Eve dinner.
 
I won't begrudge anyone for making jambalaya from a box. As stated above, some use extract, some go AG, it's still beer.

But, cheese? In Jambalaya? My cajun soul shudders.
 
tuckferrorists said:
I wish you guys could enjoy real jambalaya. The way it's supposed to be
Click to expand...

I don't have time to make it from scratch, it cuts into my beer making time.

Not to mention, I don't think my grocery carries scratch. I even asked the clerk for help finding some and he looked at me like I'm crazy. :D
 
Schlenkerla said:
I don't have time to make it from scratch, it cuts into my beer making time.

Not to mention, I don't think my grocery carries scratch. I even asked the clerk for help finding some and he looked at me like I'm crazy. :D
Click to expand...

Lemme see if I can find the time in the next few days to post up a good recipe. It is a lot of typing, and I simply can't do it right now, I have to go to bed, gotta work tonight.

But I will say this, as long as your grocer has cayenne and white pepper, as well as a decent sausage of some variety, I can give you the best tasting recipe I have ever had. They have everything else you will need, I promise. I just wish that coon ass a few posts up had followed through.

I just went back and looked at the date. YIKES, somebody drug this one out of a hole!
 
Interested to see your recipe texmedic. My jambalaya had to wait until tonight...forgot that the sausage was still frozen.:(

I don't see how using Zatarains is that much faster than from scratch though. You still have to cook everything, Zatarains just measures the rice and spices and mixes them together for you...so that only saves just a few minutes. Other than that the process should be the same. And I'm not saying you shouldn't use Zatarains for this reason...just saying that it shouldn't save much time.

Never heard of cheese in jambalaya either arturo. I've heard some use ham and others use sausage and I don't know which is more 'authentic'.
 
I have made gumbo from scratch and the Zatarans Gumbo. The box gumbo is good but compared to DIY Gumbo there is no comparison. Its awesome! When I made my own gumbo I used lard and flour to make my own ruix which is a delicate task of doing without burning the flour. I'd post the recipe but I lost that book, loaned it to some SOB who never return the damned thing.
 
Yea, a brown roux isn't the easiest to make without burning...you have to go slooowww.:)

I use a roux for my Crawfish Etoufee but haven't used a roux for Jambalaya. I do have plenty of bacon grease on-hand...hmmmmmmmmm.:rockin:
 
The boxed stuff is good but I have to watch my salt intake. Lots of pressure problems in my family and also in my wifes.

Here's a base I use for Jambalya with pretty much whatever meat is in the freezer. Usually chicken wings, smoked sausage or hot sausage and frozen shrimp, peeled and de-veined.

a bunch of minced garlic (I use the pre minced stuff :shocking:)
4-6 chopped celery stalks
one or two medium sized chopped bell pepper (I like red and orange to get some color)
one-two medium sized chopped onion
3 little tomato paste cans
1 big can diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken stock
cayenne, black pepper, white pepper, oregano, thyme, couple bay leaves
4 cups long grain white rice


Season the chicken and brown chicken and sausage in a pan. Tear the chicken off the bone and you pre chopped your sausage into rounds, right?

Sweat the veggies in your stock pot, dump the tomato paste in and let that get a little dark.

Pour a few cups of the stock in to get everything off the bottom of the pot and mixed up well. Season the mix now and add a little salt to taste. Add shrimp and other meat along with the rest of the stock and the rice. Simmer on medium until rice is cooked, stirring frequently.

That should get you something like jamabalya and you'll stay away from a lot of the salt. The sausage has plenty as is. :(
 
Looks good mmb.
Add shrimp and other meat along with the rest of the stock and the rice. Simmer on medium until rice is cooked, stirring frequently.
Click to expand...
I would add the shrimp at the very end...they only take like 4-5 minutes.:)
 
SpanishCastleAle said:
I would add the shrimp at the very end...they only take like 4-5 minutes.:)
Click to expand...

I use precooked stuff from the freezer section most of the time so it's already pretty rubbery. I'll change that next time.

Never have had "real" jambalaya or gumbo... just my attempts from a mashup of different recipes. :eek:
 
Alright, as promised, here is the scratch recipe I use for Jambalaya:

4 small whole bay leaves (take them out prior to serving)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp gumbo filé powder (it is pronounced fee-lay)
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp black pepper
1.5 tsp dried thyme leaves

4 tbsp margarine (I usually use real butter)
6 oz tasso (if you can find it) or diced ham, works out to about 1.5 cups
6 oz chopped/diced smoked sausage- any GOOD smoked pork or polish sausage, I have used just about everything, including venison (which tastes great)

1.5 cups chopped onions
1.5 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1.5 tsp minced garlic
2 cups UNCOOKED rice
4 cups chicken, beef or pork stock, can be from cans or cubes, doesn't matter

Combine your seasonings in a bowl prior to starting, timing with this recipe is essential. Boil water for your stock, if you are using bouillon cubes. Melt your margarine and add the tasso (ham) and sausage, cook for about 5 minutes. Add veggies, stirring often and cook till brown. Stir in the rice and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, scraping the bottom of the pan. It will brown and "pop", so don't be concerned, it will be OK. Add the stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender but still a little crunchy. Make sure you stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, you don't want it to burn. Serve...

Goes well with sweet cornbread and COLD, sweet iced tea with lemon. SWMBO and I usually eat this by itself, but it also works well as a side for blackened redfish or blackened flounder.

For those with a "tender mouf", this ain't for you, at least at full strength. Cut your spices in half, or more. If it gets too spicy, add more butter or margarine to cut the heat. This tastes better after sitting up in the fridge overnight. I usually make 2 recipes so I'll have plenty. And use the BIGGEST frying pan that you own to make this, it makes it sooo much easier. Oh, and don't forget to take out the bay leaves before you eat it. And I cannot take credit for this recipe, it is Paul Prudhomme's from his book Louisiana Kitchen, he is the guy that owns K-Paul's...

Enjoy!
 
No shrimp or chicken texmedic? AFAIK those are both traditional jambalaya ingredients (lol, if there is such a thing!).

Most of the heat comes from the cayenne pepper so you could cut that and keep the other spices the same for full flavor but less heat.

And use the BIGGEST frying pan that you own to make this, it makes it sooo much easier.
Click to expand...
Paella is traditionally made in such a pan and they sell them as 'Paella pans'...and you can get them about as big as you like and spend about as much as you want on them too. I've seen 60" diameter pans that sell for $2K and more (way more) and claim "serves a small village".:)
 
I have never tried THIS recipe with shrimp or chicken in it, never felt the need to. You are right though, those are the "traditional" meats, as are rabbit or squirrel. The other thing that differs with this recipe is the rice is not boiled until it "explodes". I had some Jambalaya over in Mississippi that was made by a guy from outside of Baton Rouge, and his had "mushy" rice in it. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I just didn't like it. YMMV

I'm not familiar with Paella...what is it?

Oh, and the white pepper sneaks up on you too!
 
Paella is the Spanish 'version' of jambalaya (or jambalaya is the cajun version of paella). Very similar...just Spanish instead of Cajun. It usually has whole shellfish and whole pieces of chicken in it. For example, it may have mussels in-the-shell tucked into the rice near the end of cooking to gently steam/cook the mussels.

I also put olives and artichoke hearts in it. It's awesome.

Re the rice: Generally speaking the longer the grain the less sticky it is. AFAIK, much of the US rice production happens in that area and much of it is long grain rice. Americans actually learned how to grow/harvest rice from the slaves that were brought over (hence the 'Uncle Ben's' brand name). That guy with the mushy rice might be using a shorter grain rice...or maybe he's just overcooking the crap out of it. I usually use Jasmine rice which is still long grain but noticably stickier (and whiter) than your typ Uncle Ben's long grain. Jasmine rice is what you find in many Thai/Asian restaurants.
 

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