Jambalaya Del Mar

Continuing with the Mardi Gras theme, what better way to celebrate nature's bounty than with a Jambalaya? Jambalaya is a classic Louisiana dish with Spanish origins very similar to paella which is a dish that includes rice, tomatoes, meat (typically ham, tasso, and chicken), vegetables, and broth.  This is a great 1-pot dish that is versatile enough to accommodate a wide variety of ingredients and is easy on the budget. I had some shellfish on hand and chose to make a scrumptious seafood jambalaya. Keep reading to get the scoop on how to prepare this flavorful rice dish!

The international market by me sells pre-packaged frozen seafood that includes calamari, shrimp, octopus, mussels, oysters, clams, crab, and cod fish. If you can't find packaged mixed seafood, feel free to use any combination of seafood or meat that you prefer. If you choose to use meat, use chicken stock instead of seafood stock or clam juice. This recipe is great to have in your repertoire as it can be whipped using just about anything in your kitchen and can feed a lot of people with little effort. I used a cast iron dutch oven to cook the jambalaya. I would recommend you use a pot that is also oven safe.

What you will need:
1 lb small shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 pint of shucked oysters and their liquor (If you cannot get freshly shucked oysters, you can substitute 2-3 cans of smoked oysters. The flavor is different, but it does lend a nice body to the overall dish).
8 ounces of crab meat (any kind will do-claw, lump, backfin, or special)
1 pint of mussels, shucked
1 pint of calamari, sliced into rings
1 1/2 cups of rice
1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz) of seafood stock of clam juice
1/2 cup of water
2 Tbsp of lime juice
2-3 green onions, diced
fresh parsley, for garnish
1 can of diced tomatoes and their juice
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, diced
1 stick of  butter
1 bay leaf
2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of ground black pepper
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of onion powder
1/2 tsp of ground cumin
1/2 tsp of ground allspice
2 tsp of dried thyme
1-2 tsp of Old Bay seasoning
1-2 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
Few dashes of Tabasco Sauce-optional

Bringing it together:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  Place seafood in a non-reactive bowl and soak in the lime juice while you are preparing the other ingredients. You can also season the seafood with Old Bay Seasoning at this time as well.
3. Heat heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and melt butter.
4. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, serrano pepper, and bay leaf.
5. Add minced garlic and cook veggies until onions are translucent.
6. Add tomatoes to the veggie mixture along with 1/2 of the salt.
7.  Stir in rice and allow rice to absorb the flavors for about 2-3 minutes.
8.  Add in seafood stock or clam juice along with 1/2 cup of water.
9.  Add in remaining seasonings, along with Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce.
10. Stir in the seafood and cover pot with a secure, oven-proof lid.
11. Place pot on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45 minutes-1 hour or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.
12. Once the rice is cooked, remove pot from the oven and serve, garnished with green onions and fresh parsley. Enjoy!