Couzan Billy's Jambalaya


 

Kevin Taylor

TVWBB All-Star
Here you go! These are all original, centuries old family recipes straight from the Bayou. The only difference is in the Andouille...I make that myself.

Enjoy!!
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This is probably my favorite. I cook this at every BBQ contest we enter. It is simple because you just dump everything into one pot and cook.

Couzan Billy's Jambalaya

1 pound Converted rice, uncooked
1 can French Onion soup
15 ounces Tomato sauce
1/4 pound Butter, cut into pieces
1 cup Onion(s), chopped
1/2 cup Green onion, minced
1 small Green pepper, diced
1/4 cup Parsley, fresh, chopped
3 large Garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Crab boil
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1 pound Smoked sausage
1 pound Crawfish tails(or shrimp)
3 pieces Chicken breasts, cubed
3 - 5 cups Chicken stock

PREPARATION:
Heat oven to 350.
Combine everything in a 5 Quart oven proof pot. Add about 3 - 3 1/2 cups of the chicken stock.
Mix well. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours or longer.
You may add more chicken stock based on the consistency you want.
Stir before serving.
Keeps well.
You can use any combination of meats in this recipe. I often substitute Tasso for the chicken.
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For the chiken in this one, I like to use thighs...they have only one bone and are easily retrieved once cooked.

Couzan Billy's Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

3/4 cup Oil
3/4 cup Flour
1 pound Andouille sausage
2 medium Onion(s), chopped
4 stalks Celery
2 Bell pepper, red, chopped
1 tablespoon Butter
2 teaspoon Garlic
2 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Black pepper
tablespoon Salt
4 Bay leaf(s)
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
4-5 cups Chicken stock
4 Chicken thighs

PREPARATION:
Make the roux to a deep copper color. Set aside Saute sausage, onion, celery, pepper, and seasonings in butter.
Add chicken stock and chicken thighs and simmer for 10 minutes.
Bring to rolling boil and add roux.
Simmer for at least another hour.
Retrieve and discard the chicken thigh bones.
Serve over rice.
Serves 8 dinner portions or 16 appetizer portions.
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Here is a great version of the traditional Monday(wash day) dinner....

Couzan Billy's Red Beans & Rice

1 pound Dried beans
1 pound Andouille sausage
1 cup Onion(s), chopped
1/2 cup Green onion, minced
1 tablespoon Garlic
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Crab boil
2 stalks Celery, minced
3 pounds Ham hocks, smoked

PREPARATION:
Soak beans overnight.

Brown the sausage, onions, garlic and celery.

Add remaining ingredients to stock pot. Add enough water to just cover.

Bring to boil and Simmer all day(at least a few hours).

During the last 30 minutes, mash some of the beans until desired thickness is reached.

Spoon over rice to serve.
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This is not your traditional BBQ, but BBQ Cajun style. The proper way to prepare this is to use shrimp with heads on...VERY hard to find these days. The head is FULL of flavor and that flavor will permeate the dish.

Cajun BBQ Shrimp

1 pound Shrimp
3 tablespoon(s) Worcestershire sauce
1 Lemon, juiced
1 Stick Butter
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
4 dash(es) Tabasco

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 450? Wash and drain shrimp leaving shells on.
Place shrimp and butter in pan deep enough to hold sauce.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, juice of one lemon, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 4 dashes Tabasco.
Bake at 450? for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Recipe doubles or triples well.
Serve with French bread for dipping into sauce.
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These next 2 are from the MASTER of Cajun cooking..Paul Prudhomme. Emeril is mere pond scum compared to the great one! As is his signature..all his dishes require a lot of work. Wait until you stir CONSTANTLY for 20 minutes!!

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Corn and Andouille Soup

1 tablespoon Brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons Paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Basil, dried
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
1/4 teaspoon White pepper
1 cup Onion(s), chopped
1 cup Green pepper, diced
1/2 pound Smoked sausage
3 1/2 cups Chicken stock
3 cups Corn
1 cup Tomato(s), fresh, chopped
3 tablespoons Flour
1 tablespoon Garlic, fresh, chopped

PREPARATION:
Mix first 11 spices.

Heat large pan to very hot. Add 1/2 the onions and 1/2 the green peppers and 1/2 of the spice mixture and all the sausage. Saute over HIGH heat for 20 minutes, stirring and scraping constantly. Add some stock if needed to keep from burning.

Reduce heat to low. Add corn, tomatoes, flour, garlic, rest of the onions, green peppers and spice mixture. Add 1/2 of the chicken stock.

Cook over low heat for 40 minutes, scraping and stirring every 10 minutes.

Add the rest of the stock, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
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Prudhomme Crawfish Etouffee

1 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) Cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon White pepper
3/4 teaspoon Black pepper
1 teaspoon Basil, dried
1/2 teaspoon Thyme, dried
1/4 cup Onion(s), diced
1/4 cup Celery, diced
1/4 cup Green pepper, diced
1/2 cup Oil
3/4 cup Flour
3 cup(s) Fish stock or clam juice
2 Stick(s) Butter
2 pound(s) Crawfish orShrimp
1 cup Green onion, minced
4 cup(s) Rice, cooked

PREPARATION:
Combine first 6 ingredients and set aside.
Make a roux with the flour and oil. Bring to dark red-brown color.
Once roux is made, add 1 tablespoon of the seasonings, onion, green pepper and celery.
Remove pan from heat and stir until mixture stops bubbling.
Boil 2 cups stock and add roux. Turn heat to low and cook for 2 minutes whisking constantly.
Remove from heat and cool.
In large saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter and saute the crawfish and green onions for about 1 minute.
Add the remaining stick of butter, the stock mixture and the remaining 1 cup of stock.
Cook until butter is melted, about 4-6 minutes.
Add the remaining seasonings, stir well and remove from heat.
Serve over rice.
 
Thanks for the recipes. As for "Emeril is mere pond scum". I have eaten at both K Paul?s and Emerils in NOLA and they are both great restaurants with great chefs for leaders. I know it is fashionable to bash Emeril, the funny thing is most successful chefs don't and even those who did such as Tony Bourdain have changed their tune. Emeril deserves a lifetime achievement award for getting children interested in cooking real food. Even if that was his only accomplishment which it is not, it is enough to earn my respect and admiration. My buddy Bad Byron of Buttrub.com has worked under Emeril and has the world of respect for the man. TVWB is also not a place for this kind of uncalled for attack.
~Konrad
 
Konrad......

I have actually met Emeril(twice) and had the occassion to not only meet Paul, but have him cook for a group of us. 2 totally different personalities! My post was NOT a slam, but a straight up comparison between the 2. Perhaps pond scum WAS a little strong....for that I will apologize.

Emeril I'm sure is a great chef......I have not had the opportunity to sit and have him prepare a meal for me. I think, he has lost much of his "edge" due to his overwhelming commercialization. My comment was on a chef-to-chef basis.....I firmly believe there is NO comparison between the 2.

As far as comparing restaurants, yes both GREAT joints, eaten at them several times, but neither Paul nor Emeril can be found in the kitchens..though Emeril does make a few appearances. So, comparing these is of no value to judging who I think is the better chef. Yes, yes, it takes leaders to make these great kitchens, but both have turned over the reins to their younger up and coming chefs.

Here is what really turned me against Emeril.....

I recieved his Louisiana Rustic a few years ago when it came out. It is the single worst cookbook I have ever owned! Most of the recipes are in error on their cooking times...skillet cornbread comes to mind....and the several others I tried were VERY bland. That tells me that the recipes were probably never tested. Again, more interested in the money than the quality of the book.

On the other hand, I also own Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen. It is the BEST cookbook I own....no errors in timing and the recipes taste wonderful.

I could sit here and compare several recipes between the 2 men...you would notice that Prudhomme's have many more ingredients, most notably a wide variety of spice combinations....including using both white and black peppers.

Now, before you get all peeved off, I DO give Emeril credit for his talents of bringing food to the American public. Heck, I used to watch his shows religously! He is a VERY good entertainer and I wish him continued success in his ventures. After all, I am a capitalist myself and believe in the system!

Having said all that, I will stand by my comments on a chef-to-chef comparison.
 
I've met Emeril in person and watched him cook, long before he ever did his first "Live" show, back when he worked the line. I also own both books. While Emeril's book may be bland by real NOLA standards, no doubt it was toned down for nationwide tastes. I still find it a good reference. Paul's book is the gold standard for the cuisine it covers. I've never met Paul but I have heard great things about him from Paul Kirk. Apology accepted.
 
My favourite N.O. restaurant, the place I make a bee-line for straight off the plane: Mother's on Poydras. They make a Po' Boy with what they call "debris", bits of roast beef that have fallen into the pan: to die for. The black ham is killer too.
 
Stogie,

You 'da man! You are always extremely generous with your recipes. As Mr. Minion said some time ago "How big is your hard drive?" -I thoughgt he was getting a little too personal but man-o-man you got a heck of an archive.

I'm looking forward to trying some of these and just wanted to say thanks.

Dave
 
Stogie,
Not having seen these recipes posted before this morning, I ventured onto the internet to find a jambalaya recipe worthy of serving at potluck at work this past Tuesday. found a decent looking one and added a few changes that made it pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. Absolutely every drop was eaten, got 7 requests for recipe, and I enjoyed leftovers last night that would not fit in the container I used to bring the food to work. Here is my first recipe contribution--still a neophyte compared to your regular contributions, but this one is not too bad.

? 1 lb. Boneless, skinless uncooked chicken, cubed into bite-sized pieces
? 1 lb. shrimp, boiled in Zatarain's or other Creole Seasoning
? 1 lb. (hot) smoked sausage, andouille or chaurice, sliced on the bias (I used chicken andouille, purchased at Costco)
? 1 large onion, chopped
? 1 bell pepper, chopped
? 6 - 9 cloves garlic, minced
? 4 ribs celery, chopped
? 3 small cans tomato paste
? 28-oz. can tomatoes (plain or seasoned with garlic, oregano, etc)
? 8 cups good dark homemade chicken stock (or purchase in cans)
? Emeril?s Creole seasoning blend to taste (about 3-4 tablespoons); OR 2 teaspoons cayenne, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon thyme
? 2 bay leaves (fresh is better than dried)
? 1 tablespoon cumin
? 4 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
Get a large saut? or frying pan very hot, then brown the chicken, sprinkling with Tony Chachere's seasoning if you've got it; a bit of salt, black pepper and red pepper otherwise. Place into large stock pot on low-medium heat. (stir the meat in the stock pot every couple minutes to prevent burning)

Brown the sliced smoked sausage or andouille in very hot frying pan and place into large stock pot. Discard any fat in pan.
In same frying pan, saut? the onions, garlic, peppers and celery in 1 TBL olive oil until onions begin to turn transparent. In the same pan, while you're saut?ing the vegtables, add the tomato paste and let it pinc?, meaning to let it brown a little. What we're going for here is an additional depth of flavor by browning the tomato paste a little; the sugar in the tomato paste begins to caramelize, deepening the flavor and color. Keep it moving so that it browns but doesn't burn.

Once the vegetables are translucent and the tomato paste achives sort of a red mahogany color, deglaze the pan with the about 2 cups of the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix up any browned bits, and stir until smooth, making sure the saut?ed vegetables, paste and stock are combined thoroughly. It should be fairly thick.

Add the Creole seasoning, tomatoes, bay leaf, and cumin. Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add to the sausage and chicken in the stock pot and cook another 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook another 10 minutes

Add the rest of the stock, check seasonings, and adjust if desired (about all you can do is make it hotter?don?t know how to make it milder)
Stir in the rice, combining thoroughly. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked through. If you haven't checked your seasonings before adding the rice, it's too late! It's much better for the rice to absorb the seasonings while it's cooking. Check seasoning anyway, then turn the heat down to low and let the sauce thicken up a bit, with the pot uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients. When the jambalaya has thickened up a bit and has reached the "right" consistency (you'll know), it's done.
 
The best meal we had in NOLA was at Brigtsen's restaurant in fact it was one of the ten best restaurant meals we have ever had.
 
Greetings,
Being from louisiana you are in my culinary territory! Jambayala along with gumbo are the two classic one pot foods from south of I-10. The great thing about both is that there are countless ways and combinations of ingredients for both. I leardned to make it from my mother who didn't use any tomato. I have made it both ways and both are good.
AS far as chefs and cookbooks go you are overlooking John Folse. His "The Evolution of
Cajun Cooking" is better than either Prudhomme or
Lagasse.I have cooked from "Louisiana Kitchen"
and "Fork in the Road" and the recipes are overly complicated for the results and have way too much pepper for regular people. I love Cayennes and I usually cut the pepper in half at least. Try Folse
at johnfolse.com and see what I mean.
I heartly second the motion on Frank Brigtsen's place. He actually cooks the food himself!!!!!!
Pat Barnes
 

 

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