Perhaps you’ve never had jambalaya before, but you’ve probably at least tasted its cousin, paella. Jambalaya originated in the Caribbean Islands as a result of Spanish cuisine mixing with native foods and it traditionally includes meat/s, vegetables, rice and stock.
My version below naturally includes beer. I used a wheat beer but you could also try a lager or lighter coloured ale. This is not a recipe that showcases the flavour of the beer though so don’t use your good stuff. (Perhaps you’ve got some home brew you need to get rid of, *ahem* Liam *ahem*).
It’s also a great recipe if you’re on a budget. I just used the cheapo pork sausages from the supermarket and it’s still pretty tasty but if you’re looking for something a bit fancier, chorizo works well in this dish. To decrease cooking time, you can also substitute the brown rice for white.
What you need:
- 2 tblsps oliveoil
- 8 pork sausages
- 1 large onion,diced
- 1 large capsicum, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablsps Cajun seasoning
- 2 cups brown rice
- 330mL bottle wheat beer
- 400g can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- chopped curly parsley to serve
What to do:
- Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan on high. Cook sausages 8-10 minutes, turning, until cooked through. Remove from pan and slice into large pieces. Set aside.
- Using the same pan, reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, capsicum and celery and cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and seasoning. Cook, stirring for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add rice and stir to coat. Add beer and cook, stirring, until almost absorbed. Add sausage, tomatoes, stock and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally 30 minutes or until rice is tender.
- Serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley. Enjoy!