Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

I had some sweet Georgia shrimp in the freezer that I felt I should use up. After looking in my pantry, I decided I would make Jambalaya.

I did some searching online to see if I could find a good sounding recipe. The Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya recipe on the Food Network site sounded good.

This recipe is a modification of the Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya recipe on the Food Network site.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 1 pound of smoked beef sausage (kielbasa or andouille), sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 roasted red bell, cored and diced
• 1 can 14.5 diced tomatoes
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons of powdered jalapeño peppers or to taste (1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced, if you don’t have powdered jalapeño peppers)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of harissa
• 4 cups of shrimp stock or chicken stock
• 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon of table salt
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Zatarain’s Shrimp and Crab Boil or more to taste
• 1/4 cup of scallions green section, sliced
• 1/2 preserved lemon, flesh separated and chopped and the peel diced
• 1 pound shrimp (20 to 24 count), peeled and deveined, (optional – shells saved for shrimp stock)
• Tabasco(TM) Pepper Sauce or the brand of hot sauce you prefer

Tools:

Knife, cutting board, large pot with lid, medium size pot, wooden spoon, measuring cups and spoons, can opener, small bowl, tongs, fine mesh strainer

Instructions

1. Optional – In a medium size pot, cover the shrimp shells with 4 1/2 cups of water. Add the onion peel from the onion. Over medium heat, bring the stock to a boil. Turn down the temperature to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain the stock over a 4 cup measuring cup into the fine mesh strainer. If needed, add cold water to make 4 cups. The shrimp shells can be thrown away now.
2. Place the large pot over medium heat and add the oil to the large pot. When the oils shimmers, add the cut rounds of sausage and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with the wooden spoon until the sausage is browned. Using the tongs, remove the sausage and place it in the small bowl. Set aside for later.
3. Add the butter, onion, bell pepper, and celery to the large pot and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the harissa, tomatoes, garlic, preserved lemon flesh and peel, jalapeño powder (or jalapeños), oregano and thyme to the vegetables and stir. Cook for another 7 to 10 minutes.
5. Add the shrimp stock (or chicken stock) to the large pot and bring to a roiling boil.
6. Stir in the rice, sausage, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Zatarain’s Shrimp and Crab Boil. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with the lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add the shrimp and stir well. Cover the pot with the lid, remove pot from heat and let sit and steam for 15 minutes.
8. To serve, place in bowls and garnish with the scallion greens. Provide hot sauce for those who want extra heat. A side salad would be good with this.

Notes:

The preserved lemon provided a beautiful pop of fresh citrus flavor. If you don’t have preserved lemons, add a 1/4 cup of lemon juice when you add the shrimp.