Cajun Cabbage Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a staple of the Creole and Cajun traditions. In these cuisines, recipes and ingredients from France, Spain, and West Africa came together to give birth to rich and flavorful dishes that were heavily seasoned and adapted to the local ingredients of the American South. Jambalaya is one of the most renowned dishes of this heritage and is made in many variations. Our recipe, heavy on delicious cabbage, is a wonderful and moist rice preparation seasoned with chili powder, paprika, and cumin, filled with pork sausage and flavored by the holy trinity of Creole cuisine: celery, peppers, and onions. This version takes a little over one hour from start to finish, so it can be made on the spot and without too much time ahead of your mealtime. For first-time jambalaya cooks, this is a straightforward recipe that requires just attention to the timing but doesn't entail a lot of technical skills.

Besides the traditional seasonings, the key to perfect jambalaya lies in the type of rice that is used. Usually made with long-grain rice like basmati, it cooks to fluffy grains that don't stick to each other or agglutinate into a mush in the pan, as could happen with sticky rice, sweet rice, or Thai sticky rice. As for the sausage, we choose a spicy pork sausage, but you can use your favorite type of sausage. Strong flavors are recommended because they're part of the jambalaya's character. Chicken broth adds moisture and is the foundation onto which the flavor builds, but vegetable broth is a pretty good second-best if that's what you have at hand. In either case, choose a low-sodium broth. This recipe is naturally gluten free, but check the ingredients of your sausage and broth, as mass-produced sausages might use wheat-based products as a binder, and broths can use wheat as thickeners.

Serve this delicious jambalaya with other Southern classics, such as cornbread hush puppies, collard greens, or corn on the cob. The dish is very filling on its own, so you won't need a lot of side dishes to serve a true feast. Be mindful that once the rice is ready, you must serve it right away as it will continue to absorb moisture and start to dry out. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to two days, but when reheating, adding extra chicken or vegetable broth is recommended so the rice loosens and the jambalaya becomes moist again.