Jambalaya

Ingredients:

Jambalaya
5 cloves Garlic
3 large Roma Tomatoes
1/2 large Onion
3 stalks Celery
1 1/2 Bell Peppers (I used assorted colors)
1/2 Chili Pepper
1 lb Hot Andouille Sausage (cut on the bias)
1 boneless Chicken Breast
3/4 lb Chicken Livers
1 lb Shrimp (25-30 count)
1 lb cooked Crawfish
9oz of Butter
1+ cup of Flour
2 heaping Tbsp Chicken Base
Cajun Seasoning Mix (shown below)
2 cans Diced Stewed Tomatoes
1 can Tomato Paste
3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 quarts Chicken Stock
1 quart Rice

Brown off the sausage in the oven at 300f for about 15 min.

Step 1:

While waiting, mix your cajun seasonings. I can't give you exact amounts, but here's what I used: Seasoning salt, thyme, basil, cayenne pepper (lots), 1/2 ground ancho pepper, 4 ground tsien tsien peppers, cumin, freshly cracked black pepper, crushed bay leaf, and paprika.

Step 2:

Peel and devein the shrimp. Peel and clean the tails off the crawfish, saving the bodies. Cut the chicken breasts in bite-sized pieces. Get a frying pan searing hot, and 2 tbsp of butter in it and add the crawfish bodies, let cook about 10 minutes or so, so the juices mix with the butter.

Step 3:

Discard the crawfish bodies, and let the butter get back up to searing temperature (don't waste too much time, or else you'll burn the butter). Toss a small amount of the chicken parts, shrimp and crawfish into the pan and let sear for about a minute or two while tossing repeatedly (you don't want to fully cook it, just sear the flavors in). Repeat with the remainder of the meat.

Step 4:

Chop up all the vegetables.

Step 5:

In a large stockpot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour a bit at a time. I eyeballed it, so it's around a cup to 1 1/2 cups of flour. Once it looks like this:

Step 6:

Add a bit more until you get this:

Let the roux cook for about 7 minutes, constantly stirring so it doesn't burn.

Step 7:

Add the chicken base and all the vegetables to the roux.

Step 8:

Continue cooking and stirring the roux for about 10 minutes. (The flash killed the color, it's actually a bit more darker in color).

Step 9:

While stiring constantly, slowly add the chicken broth - add a small bit at the time and allow the roux to slowly dissolve. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, cajun seasonings, worchestershire sauce, shrimp/chicken mix, and sausage.

Step 10:

Let the jambalaya cook and thicken for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Bring to a slow boil and add the rice. Stir for three minutes, then lower heat and cover. Cook the jambalaya over low heat for about 30 mins, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from burning to the bottom.

Step 11:

Garnish the jambalaya with green onion and add some cajun cornbread.