Jambalaya

From Freepedia

This article is about the dish. For the song, see Jambalaya (song).

Jambalaya (pronounced <jahm-buh-LIE-uh> or <jum-buh-LIE-uh>) is the name for a variety of rice-based dishes common in Louisiana Cajun or Creole cooking. It may derive from the Spanish dish paella, possibly brought to Louisiana when Spain controlled the territory comprising the future Louisiana Purchase, although many other theories exist, including the notion that it is a combination of the words jambon (French for ham), á là (French for in the style of) and ya-ya (West African for rice).

Generally, to prepare jambalaya one cooks rice in a stock with vegetables and meat. Rice forms the primary ingredient. The stock is flavoured with the Cajun Holy Trinity of onions, bell peppers and celery, so called because they are widespread in Cajun cooking. The meat consists of smoked sausage (Andouille or chaurice, for example) and other types of meat. The types of meat that are used include chicken, ham, seafood (such as shrimp or crawfish) and even alligator. Tabasco sauce is often added to give the dish a spicy, vinegary flavour. There exist as many varieties of jambalaya as there are cooks who prepare it. Cajun style jambalaya usually utilises a roux stock, while a New Orleans Creole style jambalaya uses a tomato-based stock.