Boudin sausage
By Cat, Feb 22, 2017 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
Until I moved to Portland Oregon at age 23, I’d not had any Cajun or Creole food; my first tasting was at Portland’s Saturday Market, and I was hooked.
Cajun and Creole foods are primarily from Louisiana and east Texas, where it was influenced by displaced Arcadians (from NE Canada), French and German immigrants, African-American slaves, and American indigenous peoples. It is generally quite spicy and includes vegetables and rice. This dish is no exception.
A more famous version of Jambalaya is made with crayfish and/or other seafood, but it is also delicious with chicken, as in this recipe. You can use leftover chicken, or roast a chicken to add to the jambalaya.
- See also: 1. Chicken/Poultry menu; 2. Herbs & Spices, Blends
- Includes: 1. Recipe that serves 8 – 10; 2. Smaller recipe to serve 3 – 4.
Jambalaya with Chicken and Andouille Sausage
This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking recipe by Poppy Tooker (1), and serves 8 – 10 or more. I also include an adaptation that serves 3 – 4.
If you’re not familiar with the different sausages and meats:
- Andouille sausage is a spicy pork sausage similar to boudin (photo, upper right), but the latter also includes rice. Boudin is a good substitute for andouille; kielbasa is another good substitute. Do not substitute with Italian or breakfast sausage, as they have the totally wrong flavor (sage and fennel) which doesn’t mix well with the herbs and spices in Jambalaya. If you can’t find the recommended sausage, I suggest increasing the amount of tasso or smoked ham, and increase the spices accordingly.
- Tasso is a highly spiced and smoked piece of pork shoulder that’s mainly used as a seasoning or accent flavor. A good alternative is smoked ham.
Wondering how to pronounce “Andouille?” use either:
- French: as “an-doo-wee” with accent on the “wee;” or
- Cajun as “an-doo-we” with accent on the “do.”
The method for this dish is very traditional, removing the chicken meat from the bones, then using the reserved bones to make a stock for the jambalaya. If you use leftover chicken, you will need stock/broth made previously (or purchased). I do not recommend using most commercial brands of chicken stock as they are likely GMO and contain ingredients that are not healthful, such as MSG (aka yeast extract) and natural/artificial flavors).
The recipe includes onion and celery, with “trimmings reserved.”What does that mean:
- for celery it includes the leaves and roots;
- for onions, it includes the dried ‘peel’ and the roots.
Ingredients & Equipment
- Chicken
- one whole chicken (about 2.5 – 3 lbs), giblets removed
- unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- OR roast chicken leftovers
- Chicken Broth
- bones from roasted chicken
- 8 cups filtered water
- trimmings from onion and celery prepped for the jambalaya (below)
- unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Jambalaya
- 6 cups of chicken broth/stock, either made from roasted chicken bones (above), or made/purchased separately
- 1 large yellow onion (for about 2 cups, finely chopped), trimmings reserved
- 3 medium stalks celery, for about 1 cup, finely chopped), trimmings reserved
- 1 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- ½ lb. fresh chaurice (or Mexican chorizo or other spicy fresh pork or beef sausage), casings removed
- ½ lb. andouille (or kielbasa), casings removed, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
- ¼ lb. tasso (or ham), cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1 Tbs. lard or coconut oil
- about 6 cups of chicken broth (either made from the bones of the roasted chicken, above, or made separately.
- 1 tsp. creole seasoning (links to my recipe, including the optional ingredients to mimic Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning)
- 3 cups long-grain white rice such as basmati or jasmine
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
- Hot sauce, preferably Crystal (optional) made with aged red cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar and salt
- Equipment:
- roasting pan (9×13 inch) or flameproof baking dish
- Glass storage bowl with lid (for chicken meat)
- small bowls for prepped veggies and meats
- 5- to 6-quart stock pot
- 7- to 8-quart enameled cast-iron Dutch oven (or other heavy-duty pot)
Method:
- Prep and roast chicken: Preheat oven to 325°F, with rack in center of oven.
- Remove giblets and neck for another use, or for flavoring the broth. Pat chicken dry then season all over with salt and pepper and place breast-side down on rack of roasting pan, or in baking dish, tucking the wing tips behind the neck.
- Roast for 30 minutes. Turn breast-side up and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, about 45 minutes more.
- Transfer to cutting board and let rest about 30 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
- Pull the meat off the bones, discarding skin (if desired). Reserve the bones for the broth.
- Shred the meat into bite-size pieces and place into a storage container, cover and place in fridge.
- While chicken is roasting, prep the other ingredients
- Prep veggies: wash onion and celery; cut off leaves and roots of celery and reserve; remove dry outer layers of onion and cut off the roots and reserve with celery trimmings.
- Finely chop celery and onion and set aside in fridge.
- Wash, stem, and seed bell pepper, then chop finely for about 1 cup; set aside with onion and celery.
- Prep sausage and tasso/ham: Remove casings from all sausages. Set chaurice (or chorizo) aside in a bowl. For andouille or kielbasa: halve lengthwise and slice crosswise, 1/4″ thick and set aside in separate bowl. Cut tasso/ham into 1/4″ dice and set aside with andouille/kielbasa.
- Chicken broth: Place reserved bones and giblets (if desired) in a stock pot with the onion and celery trimmings Add 8 cups filtered water.
- Bring t boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rise to surface.
- Lower heat and simmer until about 6 cups liquid remains, and is flavorful, about 35 – 50 minutes. Strain and measure. If less than 6 cups, add filtered water as needed.
- Jambalaya: Heat lard/oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chaurice (or chorizo) and break it into small pieces with a wooden spatula.
- Raise heat to medium-high; add andouille/kielbasa, tasso (ham), onion, celery, and bell pepper. Sprinkle Cajon/Creole seasoning over all and cook, stirring often, until the veggies are browned, 15 – 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice scallions thinly, and set aside.
- Add rice to pot and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken, reserved broth, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and 3/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Cook, undisturbed, just until rice is tender, about 20 – 25 minutes. Check rice for doneness in several places.
- Remove from heat. Fluff scallions into jambalaya with a fork. Cover pot and let stand for 10 minutes for flavors to meld.
- Serve with hot sauce.
Smaller version, 3 – 4 servings:
Ingredients & Equipment
- Chicken
- Chicken pieces skin-on and bone-in: 2 chicken legs (drumstick and thighs, joined), OR 3 – 4 chicken thighs, OR one leg and one half-breast. OR equivalent chicken leftovers
- unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chicken Broth
- bones from roasted chicken
- 3 – 4 cups filtered water
- trimmings from onion and celery prepped for the jambalaya (below)
- unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Jambalaya
- 2 – 3 cups of chicken broth/stock, either made from roasted chicken bones (above), or made/purchased separately
- ½ medium yellow onion (for about ¾ – 1 cup, finely chopped), trimmings reserved
- 1 – 2 medium stalks celery, for about ¾ – 1 cup, finely chopped), trimmings reserved
- ⅓ – ½ medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about ⅓ – ½ cup)
- 8 oz. fresh chaurice (or Mexican chorizo or other spicy fresh pork or beef sausage)
- 8 oz. andouille (or kielbasa)
- 6 oz. tasso (or ham), cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1 Tbs. lard or coconut oil
- about 2 – 3 cups of chicken broth (either made from the bones of the roasted chicken, above, or made separately.
- ½ tsp. creole seasoning (links to my recipe, including the optional ingredients to mimic Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning)
- 1 – 1 ½ cup long-grain white rice such as basmati or jasmine
- 1 – 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- ½ – 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 small dried bay leaf
- 4 – 6 Tbsp thinly sliced scallions
- Hot sauce, preferably Crystal (optional) made with aged red cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar and salt
- Equipment:
- small roasting pan or flameproof baking dish
- Glass storage bowl with lid (for chicken meat)
- small bowls for prepped veggies and meats
- 2- to 3-quart stock pot or saucier
- 3- to 4-quart enameled cast-iron Dutch oven (or other heavy-duty pot)
Prepare as for full recipe.
References
- Fine Cooking recipe by Poppy Tooker, finecooking.com/recipes/cajun-style-chicken-sausage-jambalaya.aspx
- Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (copycat recipe): food.com/recipe/tony-chacheres-creole-seasoning-copycat-500434
