Creole Style Shrimp Jambalaya is a traditional dish, worthy of celebration, especially when accompanied by a bottle of Red Schooner.
Jambalaya is a dish that I have been making for many years. I started making it while working as a young line cook at a neighborhood restaurant. Ironically, it was not on the menu. I made it because I quickly grew tired of the menu items and was looking for something else to satisfy my appetite during my shifts. We had all the ingredients on hand, so the experimenting began. As with many “one pot meals”, there are many varieties of Jambalaya out there. I have seen some with a drier base and not using tomatoes, but this recipe reflects the way I like to eat it. Having said this, I have to be clear that there is no wrong way to make this dish; it truly depends on your personal tastes.
In my opinion, the key to a good Jambalaya is to use good quality sausage, along with fresh shrimp. It is also important to make sure that the flavors are cooked with the rice,allowing it to absorb all the flavorful ingredients. Jackie had not had much experience eating Jambalaya until she met me, but I think I have made her a convert. When our friends at Caymus asked us to create a Mardi Gras inspired recipe to pair with their amazing Red Schooner, this seemed like a no brainer.
The fruit-forward, smooth drinking Malbec goes great with many of our favorite recipes, and it is one we love to serve at parties. We also happen to love the story of this wine. Its grapes are grown in the Andes Mountains of Argentina, then shipped chilled to California (thus the name “Red Schooner”), arriving into the capable hands of the expert wine makers at Caymus Vinyards who produce this rich and supple red. We are also quite fond of this beautifully designed label, which clearly depicts the voyage of the grapes.
This Creole Style Shrimp Jambalaya is a great Mardi Gras celebration meal (with a bottle of Red Schooner of course). But it can also be turned into a Lenten meal if the sausage is omitted. As I mentioned before, feel free to add your favorite proteins along with your favorite seafood (such as crawfish, mussels, fish or lobster) and create a one-of-a-kind recipe that you and your family will enjoy. Cheers!
This post is sponsored by our friend at Caymus. All opinions are our own.
You can purchase Red Schooner here.
- 8 oz of your favorite sausage
- 1 lb raw large shrimp
- 2 C uncooked brown rice
- 16 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large red pepper, chopped
- 2 C chopped celery
- ¼ C chopped green onions
- ¼ C hot pepper sauce
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- In a large pot that has a lid that will fit tightly, heat olive oil and add diced onion, garlic, red pepper and sausage. Cook over medium heat until sausage is browned. Remove sausage and set aside.
- Add rice and stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, celery and spices along with 3 C water and reduce heat to medium low and cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove lid and add shrimp, sausage that has been sliced into ¼ inch coins along with hot sauce to top of mixture. Replace cover and cook an additional 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and shrimp are cooked.
- Place in serving containers and top with green onion.
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