Jambalaya- The start of the cooking Journey

This is the recipe that got Todd into cooking. When he went to college, he was capable of making Top Ramen, grilled cheese and Nalley chili and he thought that was enough. One day he got sick and tired of making Top Ramen, so he decided it was time to cook. He turned on the cooking channels. The first host he watched was Emeril Lagasse and he was making jambalaya. That was 23 years ago. Todd used all his savings at the time to buy the ingredients and he made Emeril's jambalaya. It was a flavor explosion that changed his life and he decided he would learn how to make delicious food and pass it on to his children some day. 

Todd's jambalaya has evolved every time he's created it. His influences include Emeril Lagasse and John Besh and his own preferences. That's the thing about jambalaya. It is pork products and rice and preferences. Here is the masterpiece he is making today:

JAMBALAYA 
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 10-12 people 

The Players:

• 4 slices Bacon, diced to 1 cm squares
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 lb chorizo sausage
• 1 lb andouille sausage
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 1/2 cups (uncooked) long grain white rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sweet white corn
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cajun spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 green onions
• 1 tsp Bacon fat

How it's done: 

Start by chopping the onion, red pepper and celery first (because he prefers to use one cutting board and cutting vegetables then raw meats is the safe order to do so). 

Then, chop all the andouille by cutting them first down their length then slicing into half-rounds.

Now it's time to chop the raw meat. Dice the Bacon (we honor Bacon with capitalization... because it's Bacon) into 1 cm squares. 

Let's get heated! Must have: Dutch Oven (we'll make our recommendations about Dutch Ovens soon!) Warm the bacon fat in the Dutch Oven (DO) over medium heat. Drop in your Bacon morsels. Cook them until they are crispy. This is your one chance to get it right with the Bacon. No soggy Bacon! 

When they are just right there, take them out and set them aside in a bowl. 

Leave that Bacon fat right where it is in that DO. Get those onions ready. Drop them into that Bacon fat and listen to the sizzle. Those onions are so happy in that Bacon fat! Stir those babies around! You're using those onions to deglaze the bacon fat off the bottom of the DO. Cook the onions, stirring, until they are translucent. 

The next layer of flavor is the chorizo. Break it up and drop it in with the onions. Once it is in the DO, stir and fold it in with the onions. When the chorizo is cooked through, add that liquid smoke and the andoille. Don't over-stir it. Let that maillard effect work--let it sit for a while and get that little bit of char going before you give it its first stir so you can deglaze it later.

Talia says, "Dad, are fats basically juices so basically flavors?" He says, "Yes! Fats equal flavors! We call that 'rendering'! We are rendering the fats!"

Those meat juices are cooking to the bottom. Time to deglaze! Add the peppers and celery and stir them in, deglaze that DO and enjoy those flavor scents! Cook until the celery gets a little soft. 

Taste it as you go. Check for that celery softness. 

When the celery is soft, it's time to add the rice. Add it, uncooked, straight into the DO. Stir it in so every grain gets coated in those oils from the Bacon, andouille and chorizo. It will smell like nutty popcorn when you know that rice is starting to get happy. 

When the rice is happy and you are "officially nutty" (says Todd), add the chicken stock. 

Then, add the fire roasted tomatoes and corn.

Next, stir in the smoked paprika, cajun spice, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Put the lid on it. Let the magic happen. Set a timer and go fill your soul for 25 minutes. 

Whatever you do, Do Not Open That Lid. 

After 25 minutes, return to the pot. If you're smarter than us, you put the bacon in that bowl somewhere safe. If you're like us...you didn't and you find this.

And you know who did it. 

So you quick have to do this, again. 

Then, you're back on track. Open that lid and remove the bay leaves. Then, using a fork, gently fluff the rice and stir everything together so what simmered to the top is spread throughout. 

To serve, put one cup of jambalaya in each bowl. Sprinkle with bacon and garnish with green onion. 

Todd says: "This is a recipe that is near and dear to my heart. I encourage you to find what recipe is that for you."

What is the recipe that warms your heart, soul and belly?"