Saturday, June 30, 2007

Jambalaya Confessions

As a Cajun, I can't stand store-bought food.
I laugh at people that buy their roux in a jar. I think that's a travesty. Part of the joy in making cajun food is the adeventure in cooking it. Crawfish are a great example. However, I have a confession. I don't make my jambalaya from scratch. I have no idea why but I have never made a decent jambalaya from scratch. Ever. I've certainly never made on better tha I have using Louisiana's Cajun Jambalaya Mix.

There are a couple of secrets to using the mix. First when you buy it in the store, feel the package. You want a package that feels dense, not just like loose rice. The ones that are 'looser' don't have as much of the seasoning. At least that's the myth. I'm not certain that's true, but I squeeze before I buy too.

Secondly, don't just use the mix per the directions. I chop bell peppers and onions and brown them in a skillet with a bit of thyme. Today, the bell peppers came out of my little garden, so they were super-fresh.



Otherwise, just follow the directions... Here's the final result:

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