big b’s big easy jambalaya

our manager, bernie fritzsch, aka big b, comes up with some amazing chowders, soups and stews! last week he made a killer batch of jambalaya and it sold out so fast, he decided to make more this week and the same thing happened!

jambalaya is a wonderful hodgepodge of flavor brought to southern louisiana by the early spanish and french settlers. it could have evolved from spanish paella, which also included rice, meats and seafood. the lack of the availability of saffron in their new home may explain the use of tomatoes in the creole “red” jambalaya. there’s another type the cajuns make that’s called “brown” jambalaya. one of the differences between the two is that the creole version starts out by adding the “trinity” (celery, onion and bell pepper) to the pot then the rest of the ingredients is added with the tomatoes bringing the red color. cajun jambalaya first browns the meat (maybe some andouille sausage and ham) and the brown bits scraped from the pot give the dish it’s brown color. the trinity and rest of ingredients are added after.

bernie adds some tomato to his recipe but what he makes is considered a “brown” jambalaya. like so many of the fantastic dishes from the region, there are almost as many recipes as there are cooks!

big b’s jambalaya – pure comfort food. enjoy!