Kwame Onwuachi’s Jambalaya

Adapted from My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi.

Onwuachi is chef-owner of Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, the critically acclaimed Afro-Caribbean restaurant in New York City. In the headnote to his recipe, he writes that he grew up eating his mother’s jambalaya (she was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Onwuachi’s father was raised in Nigeria). Jambalaya, he explains, “sits at the heart of Creole cuisine.”

READ: Kwame Onwuachi’s Jambalaya is a thrilling expression of a Creole classic

His version, which includes shrimp, andouille sausage and chicken, is probably the best we’ve ever had. That’s despite the fact that we made some tweaks to make his recipe more do-able for home cooks. For instance, rather than asking you to gather a pound of shrimp shells (which would require peeling more than four pounds of shrimp) to make three quarts of stock that simmers for two hours, our recipe uses the shells you get from just the one pound of shrimp you’ll use in the jambalaya, boosted with dried shrimp to make a flavorful stock that simmers just 30 minutes. It makes enough for two batches of jambalaya. For the dried shrimp, we like River Road brand from Louisiana; dried shrimp from Thailand work great, too. Find the latter in Asian supermarkets (look for those without preservatives).

We also swapped store-bought Crystal Louisiana hot sauce for the home-made hot sauce the book asks you to make, and scaled down Onwauchi’s House Spice recipe so you’re left with just a couple of spoonfuls extra, rather than 2 1/2 cups.

Be sure to make the shrimp stock first, peeling the shrimp you’ll use in the jambalaya. While it simmers, you can put together the House Spice mix.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups / 292 grams jasmine rice

2 tablespoons grapeseed, canola or other neutral oil

3/4 pound andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch / 7 mm coins

1 pound / 454 grams boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch / 2.5-cm cubes

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons Kwame Onwuachi’s House Spice (recipe below), plus additional for seasoning the chicken and shrimp and finishing

1 pound / 454 grams large shrimp, tail on, peeled and deveined (save the peels for the shrimp stock)

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

One 14-ounce / 397 gram can crushed tomatoes

4 fresh thyme sprigs

1 1/2 tablespoons Crystal or other Louisiana-style hot sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/4 cups / 300 ml chicken broth

1 1/4 cups / 300 ml shrimp stock (see recipe below)

2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley

4 tablespoons sliced scallions

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice in cool water until the water runs clear; set aside.

2. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the sausage and brown about 2 minutes on each side, then remove to a plate and reserve for later. While the sausage browns, season the chicken on all sides with salt and house spice. Once you’ve removed the sausage from the pot, add the chicken and sear until deep golden brown on all sides. Remove to the plate with the sausage, and set aside. While the chicken browns, season the shrimp all over with salt and house spice. Once you’ve removed the chicken, add another tablespoon of oil if the pot seems dry, then add the shrimp. Sear the shrimp a minute or two on each side. Remove to a separate plate and reserve.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F / 175 C. Decrease the heat on the stove to low. Add another tablespoon of oil to the Dutch oven if it seems dry, then add the garlic. Sauté until fragrant, 1 or 2 minutes, then add the onions, bell peppers and celery and raise the heat to medium. Sauté until tender, 8 to 10 minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons house spice. Return the sausage and chicken to the pot and simer gently, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

4. Add the rice and stir frequently for 5 minutes, until the rice is toasted. Add the chicken broth and shrimp stock and 1 teaspoon salt, then increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Once it’s boiling, cover tightly and place in the oven for 18 minutes.

5. Remove the jambalaya from the oven and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then uncover, fluff gently with a fork and fold in the shrimp. Let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes more before folding in the parsley and scallions. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt, house spice and hot sauce as you like.

Shrimp Stock for Jambalaya

Makes about 2 1/2 cups / 600 ml, enough for two batches of jambalaya.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

Shells from 1 pound / 454 grams shrimp

3/4 ounce / 21 grams dried shrimp

2 bay leaves

2 thyme branches

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

The top (green) part of a leek, roughly chopped, or half a small onion, roughly chopped

5 cups water

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, dried shrimp, bay leaves, thyme and garlic, stir to coat with the hot oil and let cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the leek tops or chopped onion and the water. Bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain into a clean bowl or pot (you’ll be reheating it to use in the gumbo), pressing on the solids to extract all the stock. Measure the stock: If you have less than 3 1/2 cups, add enough water to yield that.

Kwame Onwuachi’s House Spice

Makes enough for one recipe of jambalaya, plus a little extra.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, 2 teaspoons granulated onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne and 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika.

If you like this recipe, we think you’ll enjoy:

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RECIPE: Shrimp, Andouille and Okra Gumbo