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Seafood Jambalaya Recipe

This Seafood Jambalaya Recipe makes a statement! It is great for a special family meal or for informal entertaining. Despite the long list of ingredients, this is quickly assembled and is one of our top quick, easy dinner ideas.

It was, apparently, the attempts of the early Spanish in New Orleans to make their native Spanish rice dish, paella, which led to what we know, today, as Jambalaya. This is not really an authentic Jambalaya as it contains no chicken, and it is a kind of fusion between Creole and Cajun Jambalaya. However, the resultant one skillet meal is both a visual and gastronomic feast.

You can make this recipe with either shelled or unshelled prawns. The weights below include the shells on the prawns and on the mussels. I believe that the whole prawns impart more flavor to this dish than those which have been shelled. However, you can easily use shelled prawns or shrimps.

Easy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients:

1 large onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red pepper, diced

1 stick celery, finely sliced

2 cups rice (uncooked)

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

¼ cup tomato puree

3 cups chicken stock (can be made with a stock cube)

1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

4oz/ 125g chorizo or spicy sausage, diced

½ - ½ cup white wine

2lbs / 1kg mussels

1lb / 500g Queen prawns

salt and ground pepper to season

You will need a wide skillet or large pot with a lid.

Method:

Fry the onion until it is soft and translucent. Don't let it get too brown.
Add the garlic, celery and diced bell pepper. Fry until the pepper is just soft.
Add the uncooked rice to the pan. Fry for a minute.
Slowly add the chicken stock. Add the diced tomato, tomato puree, parsley, rosemary and cayenne pepper.
Place a lid on the pan and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is just cooked and it has absorbed most of the liquid - you don't want the rice either too hard or overcooked. Check the liquid during this cooking period. Add a little wine if needs be.
When the rice is almost ready, add the diced sausage. Cook for a minute. Add as much of the remaining wine as necessary.
Just before serving, add the mussels and finally the prawns. Simmer until they are cooked through, but don't overcook (about 4 minutes). Check seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Serve this Seafood Jambalaya recipe immediately with a big salad.