Cajun cuisine is "A rustic cuisine, one in which locally available ingredients dominate, that has developed for the last 250 years, coming mostly from the French, especially in Louisiana, is Cajun Cuisine, featuring Country cooking, and in its earliest stages, one pot meals. Cajun Cuisine is a mixture of Cajun and Creole techniques and recipes, using a blend of natural spices to make it what it has become today." (http://bmwhsd.hubpages.com/hub/Cajunfood)
I love the richness of flavour in their food as they use a blend of natural spices. Most of the time you will find bell peppers, onions and celery also known as the Holy Trinity of Cajun cuisine in these dishes. It is usually a one pot meal with a rice to go with the dish. One of these days I hope to make a trip to Louisiana to taste the real authentic Cajun food!
I have been wanting to learn to cook some cajun food. Finally I decided to cook Jambalaya as my first attempt. It looks the easiest to me. And someone just gave my husband some home made sausages so I might as well make good use of them!
There are 2 types of Jambalaya: the creole and the cajun. The creole is reddish in colour as tomatoes are added and the cajun has a brown colour as the meat is cooked in the pot alone and allowed to brown and caramelize.
I got this recipe for Jambalaya from food network. It comes from Chef Emeril Lagasse. He has used shrimp in the recipe but I have left this out. He named this as Cajun Jambalaya but he has used tomatoes in his recipe. I don't really care whether it is cajun or creole as long as it taste good I am happy!
My next try on cooking cajun food is my favourite Gumbo!
Ingredients:
4 servings
1 12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
2 4 ounces chicken, diced
3 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
4 2 tablespoons olive oil
5 1/4 cup chopped onion
6 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
7 1/4 cup chopped celery
8 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
9 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
10 3 bay leaves
11 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
12 1 teaspoon hot sauce
13 3/4 cup rice
14 3 cups chicken stock
15 5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
16 Salt and pepper
Directions
In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried thyme Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
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