Mambo’s Creole Jambalaya

Mambo’s is home to Bourbon Street’s only rooftop bar as well as fabulous Creole jambalaya recipe!(BTW, Creole jambalaya has a red tint because it has tomatoes and Cajun jambalaya has a brown tint because it doesn’t.) You’ll love this and every other dish served at Mambo’s and their sister restaurants Oceana Grill, Olde NOLA Cookery, and Bobby Hebert’s Cajun Cannon. Learn more about jambalaya here.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound Cajun or andouille smoked sausage, sliced into 1⁄4-inch rounds
• 1 pound rotisserie chicken, skin removed and cut into cubes
• 2 cups diced white onion
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper 1 tablespoon minced garlic 28 ounces diced tomatoes
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups medium grain rice Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Start with heating the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently until the sausage has browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 1 minute.
2. Spoon the meat out of the Dutch oven with a slotted spoon, leaving the remaining oil in the pot and put the meat aside.
3. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, bay leaves, broth, Creole seasoning, and cayenne pepper to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil.
5. Stir in the uncooked rice and return the chicken and sausage to the Dutch oven. Cover and reduce the heat and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Season to taste and serve.

TIP: Sometimes stirring too often or too much can make the rice very mushy and paste-like. Avoid that by stirring slowly and not too often.