Entertaining/Dinner Tonight

Many Cajun and Creole dishes are seasoned with the so-called holy trinity--bell pepper, onion, and celery. This Creole-style jambalaya has lots of tomato in it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  pound  andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced
• 1  large onion, diced
• 1  bell pepper, diced
• 3  celery ribs, chopped
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  bay leaves
• 1  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 2  teaspoons  Creole seasoning
• 1  (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with juice
• 4  cups  chicken broth
• 2  cups  uncooked long-grain rice
• 1  pound  shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4  green onions, chopped

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon; set aside.
2. Add onion and next 7 ingredients to hot drippings in Dutch oven; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in reserved sausage, tomatoes, broth, and rice. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
3. Stir in shrimp; cover and cook 5 minutes or until done. Sprinkle each serving with green onions.

Paul Prudhomme, K-Paul's. Paul Prudhomme and his restaurant K-Paul's are the driving force behind the national popularity of Cajun food, and have been for almost 30 years. This recipe blends together a whole bunch of different spices to give the chicken a surprising and unique flavor. If you don't have a grill, you can broil the marinated chicken pieces until a nice brown crust forms, then bake at 300º until cooked through.
Prep: 15 minutes; Chill: 6 hours; Grill: Breast 40 minutes, leg 35 minutes, thigh 42 minutes; Stand: 10 minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 5  tablespoons  Cajun meat seasoning blend (for testing purposes, we used Chef Paul's Meat Magic Seasoning)
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  ground cardamom
• 1  tablespoon  plus 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1  tablespoon  plus 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1  tablespoon  grated lemon peel
• 1  tablespoon  grated lime peel
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  ground savory
• 3/4  teaspoon  ground allspice
• 3/4  teaspoon  ground dried guajillo or pasilla chile pepper (1/2 pepper)
• 1  tablespoon  plus 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1  (3- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 4  bay leaves
• 1/4  cup  unsalted butter

Preparation

1. Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl. Remove 1/4 cup mixture, and set aside. Add soy sauce to remaining seasoning, and stir well to form a paste. Place chicken pieces and bay leaves in a large bowl, and rub chicken evenly with paste. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill 6 to 8 hours.
2. Remove chicken from refrigerator about 1 1/2 hours before grilling so it reaches room temperature. Melt butter, and stir in reserved 1/4 cup seasoning mixture. Set aside.
3. Prepare a hot fire (400º to 450º) by piling charcoal on one side of grill, leaving other side empty. If using gas grill, light only one side. Place chicken pieces over cooler side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 25 minutes for breasts and 30 minutes for thighs and legs.
4. Transfer chicken to hot side, and grill, turning several times and basting with reserved butter mixture, until internal temperature reaches 175º, about 7 1/2 minutes per side for breasts, 3 1/2 minutes per side for thighs, and 2 1/2 minutes per side for legs. Remove from grill, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.