Mardi Gras Holy Trinity Jambalaya

I love how food transports us to other places and introduces us to other cultures, even those in our own country!

I've never been to 'Nawlins, NOLA, The Big Easy, or however you prefer to refer to the city below sea level that was devastated in 2005's Hurricane Katrina. I'm not even a fan of spicy hot (and painful) food, so Cajun cooking doesn't usually make an appearance in my kitchen.

But once a year, when the beads are flying through the air to parade revelers greedy hands, and the sounds of Zydeco music fills the streets, I make a Holy Trinity Jambalaya.

The "holy trinity" of course is a take on the religious theme, but in Cajun kitchens the holy trinity means a mirepoix of 3 veggies: onion, bell pepper, and celery, in roughly the same amounts.

This recipe I've developed over the years takes that trinity to yet another layer, where I use 3 meats. Mardi Gras translates to "Fat Tuesday" and it's the day before the beginning of lent, the Catholic time of prayers, fasting, and almsgiving in the 40 days leading to Easter Sunday. Mardi Gras is traditionally a day of excess in the culinary world, so that where the bounty of ingredients in this recipe gets it's inspiration.

But it doesn't need to be Mardi Gras to enjoy a big, hearty one pot meal. Make it to enjoy any night!

Holy Trinity Jambalaya Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Tbls olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped

Ready to cook!

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbls chili powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp thyme
few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper
1 package (4 pieces) Andouille sausage (I get Aidells all-natural brand with no MSG, gluten-free, no nitrites, and no hormones), sliced into 1/2 rounds
1 1/2 Cups brown rice
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can (or 2 C homemade) chicken broth
1 tomato can full of water
2 bay leaves
1 pound 41-60 shrimp (I buy frozen, shells removed, tail off, deveined)
1/2 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
2 Tbls fresh chopped flat leaf parsley


Method:

1. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper and celery and saute until veggies are tender and onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute until just fragrant, about 30 more seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove veggies to a bowl, leaving some oil in the pot.
2. Add chicken and salt, chili powder, paprika, thyme, and black pepper to the pot and brown for 3-5 minutes. A nice fond will begin to form on the bottom of the pan (meaning the spices and outside bits of the chicken will start to stick ever so slightly -- this is a good thing!).
3. Add Andouille and stir to begin browning, about 2 more minutes.
4. Add rice and stir well. Then add tomatoes, broth, water and bay leaves. Scrape bottom of the pan well to remove the fond and distribute flavors throughout. Return cooked veggies to the pot.
5. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover and lower heat to simmer for 50 minutes. Walk away to check Facebook, work on your blog, or read a book. Or you could clean up your mess, but that's nowhere near as much fun as the alternatives.
6. After 50 minutes, the liquid will be mostly absorbed by the rice. Remove lid and stir well, being sure to scrape the bottom, or the rice will tend to stick. Add shrimp and hot sauce and stir to combine. Cover and cook 5-6 minutes more, until shrimp have turned opaque and slightly pink, meaning they are fully cooked (hard to tell color in the tomatoes and seasonings, but you can). Remove lid, stir in parsley and season with more salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Both my kids' bowls were empty, even though this had a slight kick to it. I hope you enjoy and as they say on Mardi Gras, "Laissez les bons temps rouler!" (Let the good times roll!)