[plthijinx]

i've made this one a lot.


this basic meat jambalaya is enriched by using beef stock in place of water. if you have no stock on hand, you can easily prepare some from a good quality beef concentrate. as in the preparation of gumbo chop the vegetables and cut up the principal ingredients before beginning to cook. i like my jambalaya very rich, but if you need to stretch it, double the amount of rice and water and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper - you'll have enough jambalaya to feed eight. for a more delicately flavored variation, substitute lean veal for the pork.

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2 tbs. salt butter
1 1/2 c. long grain rice
4 c. chopped onion
3 c. rich beef stock
2/3 c. chopped green pepper
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. thinly sliced green shallot (scallion) tops
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1tbs. finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 tbs. finely minced fresh parsley
2 whole bay leaves (crushed)
1 lb. lean pork cut into 3/4" cubes
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 c. finely chopped baked ham
1/8 tsp. cloves
6 creole (polish, french garlic) smoked sausages (or your fav) sliced 1/2" thick and kept refrigerated

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in a heavy 7 to 8 quart pot or kettle, melt the butter over low heat. add the vegetables, parsley, pork and ham; continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes, or until the veggies and pieces of meat are browned. add the sausage and seasonings and continue cooking and stirring over low heat for 5 minutes more.add the rice and beef stock and mix well, then raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. cover the pot, turn the heat to very low, and cook for 45 minutes, uncovering from time to time to stir. uncover the pot during the last 10 minutes of cooking and raise the heat to medium to allow the rice to dry out, stirring very frequently. serve immediately.

gumbo recipe to follow in the next day or so.