I made a brown jambalay for the first time. It didn't come out very brown at all. Anybody have a clue what I did wrong? I'm guessing I didn't brown the chicken long enough.
no....it's not just browning meat.....here's 2 ways to do it (kitchen bouquet or brown sugar)....take your pick: CHAR'S RED OR BROWN JAMBALAYA Things you will need: 4-5 cups of cooked rice (with salt added) 8 quart stock pot Cajun seasoning (to taste) 1 10 oz. can of diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel type) 1 large chopped onion 1 large red or green chopped bell pepper (or both if you like -- one small of each) 2 TB minced or chopped garlic Garlic and onion powder (1 TB each) 24-32 oz. of tomato sauce (for red jambalaya) or 1TB of Kitchen Bouquet (for brown jambalaya) Meat of choice (ie. preboiled deboned chicken, cut up sausage links, chunks of tasso, peeled shrimp, peeled crawfish, precooked pork or beef ribs, etc., etc.) Okay, if you're desiring the red jambalaya (our personal favorite), you can just throw everything together (minus the rice) and simmer till veggies and meats are tender. Add rice and mix well, then enjoy! If you're desiring the brown jambalaya, the first thing is to brown the meat (s) of choice and add the veggies. Add seasonings and simmer. Usually, steam will help make your brown gravy heartier, but most times you will need to add more water to be able to cover all of the rice. Add the Kitchen Bouquet to make the gravy darker (does not add flavor) and extra water (I just use my own judgement -- sometimes it's only 8 ounces, sometimes, it's 16 or more) and simmer for a few minutes. Once meats and veggies are tender, add rice and mix well, then enjoy! What is Kitchen Bouquet? It is arguably the world's finest browning and seasoning sauce. Truly magnificent stuff. It is one of the hidden gems in the rows and rows of your grocery store. As with riboflavin, think of the name "Kitchen Bouquet" and all the wonderful things it suggests: bundles of bright and beautiful flowers, sunlight streaming in windows, happy people making dinner for hungry families. Yet the product merely turns gravies brown, making it easier for us to eat. This difference between the name of the product and its function is part of Kitchen Bouquet's allure. http://www.drhot.net/kitchenbouquet.html 2nd way by adding brown sugar: Jambalaya Ingredients: 1/4 Cup Oil 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic 1 cooked chicken, cut up or boned 4 C. long grain rice 1 1/2 lbs. sausage 5 C. stock or flavored water Trinity: (next three items) 2 heaping tsp. Joe's Stuff Seasoning 4 C. chopped onions 2 C. chopped green onions or tomatoes (opt.) 2 C. chopped celery 2 C. chopped green pepper Procedure: Season and brown chicken in oil (lard, bacon drippings) over med-high heat. Add sausage to pot and saute with chicken. Remove both from pot. For brown jambalaya, either add heaping Tbsp. brown sugar to hot oil and caramelize, make a roux, or use Kitchen Bouquet. For red jambalaya, add paprika for color. Saute the Trinity (onions, celery, green pepper) and garlic to the tenderness that you desire. Return chicken and sausage to pot. Add liquid and Joe's Stuff and bring to a boil. If using Kitchen Bouquet for brown jambalaya add 1 to 2 Tbsp. For red jambalaya add approx. 1/4 cup paprika, and you may want to use 1/2 stock and 1/2 tomato juice or V-8 for your liquid. Add rice and return to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for a total of 25 minutes. After 10 minutes of cooking, remove cover and quickly turn rice from top to bottom completely. ( don't burn your fingers, use our Jambalaya Recipe Potholder! ) add green onions and chopped tomatoes if desired. Note: 1 cup raw long grain rice will feed 3 people 4 keys: 1 cup rice to 1 cups of onion, 1/2 cup celery and 1/2 cup green pepper 1 cup raw rice to 1 1/4 cups liquid Overseason to compensate for the rice Cook for a total of 25 minutes, turning completely after 10 minutes If using an electric stove, reduce cooking time by 3-4 minutes. For seafood jambalaya, add cooked seafood when rice is turned. **Makes 12 Servings**