??? for NOLA cooks or wannabies

SJ, I don't know anything about NOLA food, except I love to eat it....but, is your tar one of your dogs? She/he is beautiful!

Sorry for the hijack...

Jambalaya is like a Cajun paella...the rice is put in the pot with everything else and it cooks together. It does have tomato, so there is a redness to it. It isn't a red sauce, though.

Etoufee is made with crawfish when they are in season, and shrimp at other times of the year. It has a roux base, and is usually served over white rice.

Hope that helps!

A very basic way to look at the two is: Etoufee is almost like a thickened seafood sauce that goes over rice, and jambalaya is almost like a "cajunized" rice pilaf with meat in it.

Etoufee means "smothered". Etoufee is similar to gumbo in which that they both start with a dark roux and then trinity (onions, celery, bell peppers), stock, herbs and spices, and seafood are added (usually shrimp or crawfish). Etoufee is thicker than gumbo, and whether or not tomatoes are used or not, is a heated debate among cooks in Louisiana. So sometimes etoufee is red (with tomatoes), or brown (without tomatoes, color comes from the dark roux).

One of my old chefs told me once that jambalaya has to contain ham because the word "jambalaya" comes from the french word for ham "jambon". I've had many jambalayas that didn't have ham, but almost always had andouille sausage. Jambalaya usually has rice, trinity, herbs and spices, and whichever protein you want to put in. As far the proteins go, most cooks put in what is grown in their area. If they're on the water, they put in seafood. If on a farm, poultry and pork. Etc. Also, tomatoes are put in by some people, some not.

Hope this helps.😀

Thanks, Punzy. Can you walk me through the basics of making Etoufee? Don't need measurements/specific ingredients, but just the basics? Is the Etoufee a sauce? What do you add the roux to? Fish stock? What is the viscosity similar too, prior to pouring over the rice? Is it similar to the viscosity of white gravy for biscuits?

cancel that request, Punzy, ccj gave me the extras for which I was looking.

Jambalaya is like a Cajun paella...the rice is put in the pot with everything else and it cooks together. It does have tomato, so there is a redness to it. It isn't a red sauce, though.

Etoufee is made with crawfish when they are in season, and shrimp at other times of the year. It has a roux base, and is usually served over white rice.

Hope that helps!

I'm about ready for a repeat of your gorgeous etoufee and jambalya. we must.:wave:

I can vouch for Rapunzel's jambalaya and shrimp creole. Punz- do you "etoufee"?

Dam* this diet.:bang::bang::bang: I am so hungry.

A very basic way to look at the two is: Etoufee is almost like a thickened seafood sauce that goes over rice, and jambalaya is almost like a "cajunized" rice pilaf with meat in it.

Etoufee means "smothered". Etoufee is similar to gumbo in which that they both start with a dark roux and then trinity (onions, celery, bell peppers), stock, herbs and spices, and seafood are added (usually shrimp or crawfish). Etoufee is thicker than gumbo, and whether or not tomatoes are used or not, is a heated debate among cooks in Louisiana. So sometimes etoufee is red (with tomatoes), or brown (without tomatoes, color comes from the dark roux).

One of my old chefs told me once that jambalaya has to contain ham because the word "jambalaya" comes from the french word for ham "jambon". I've had many jambalayas that didn't have ham, but almost always had andouille sausage. Jambalaya usually has rice, trinity, herbs and spices, and whichever protein you want to put in. As far the proteins go, most cooks put in what is grown in their area. If they're on the water, they put in seafood. If on a farm, poultry and pork. Etc. Also, tomatoes are put in by some people, some not.

Hope this helps.😀

And the "alaya" in "jambalaya" is a reference to "a la ya," translated as "with rice" (derived from the French and West African languages).

Oh, and the type of ham that the Paul Prudhomme uses is tasso, which is technically not ham but is a pork product.

I've never made ?touff?e for whatever reason because it's hard to get good seafood where we live. But I've made jambalaya many times. My two favorite recipes for this:

Paul Prudhomme’s Poor Man's Jambalaya
4 small whole bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fil? powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 tablespoons margarine
6 ounces tasso (preferred) or other smoked ham (preferably Cure 81), diced
6 ounces andouille smoked sausage (preferred) or Polish kielbasa, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups uncooked rice (preferably converted)
4 cups basic beef, pork or chicken stock

Combine first 9 ingredients and set aside. In a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) melt the margarine over high heat. Add the tasso and andouille; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic, and seasoning mix. Stir well and continue cooking until browned, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom well. Stir in the rice and cook 5 minutes, stirring and scraping pan bottom occasionally. Add the stock, stirring well. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender but still a bit crunchy, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally toward the end of cooking time. Serves 8.

Paul Prudhomme’s Chicken and Seafood Jambalaya
We blew everyone away one year when I served this at the Callaway Gardens Steeplechase. The wonderful aroma drove everyone in nearby boxes crazy!

(Try half the pepper suggested, then add more according to your preference)
2 small whole bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup chopped tasso (preferred) or other smoked ham (preferably Cure 81), about 3 ounces
1/2 cup chopped andouille smoked sausage (preferred) or Polish kielbasa
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chicken, cut into bite-size pieces, about 3 ounces
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 medium-size tomatoes, peeled and chopped, about 1 pound
3/4 cup canned tomato sauce
2 cups basic seafood stock or chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups uncooked rice (preferably converted)
1 pound shrimp, peeled

Combine first 7 ingredients and set aside. In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the tasso and andouille and saut? until crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers; saut? until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom well. Add the chicken. Raise heat to high and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add the seasoning mix and minced garlic; cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping pan bottom as needed. Add the tomatoes and cook until chicken is tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato sauce; cook 7 minutes, stirring fairly often. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Then stir in the green onions and cook about 2 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add rice and shrimp; stir well and remove from heat. Transfer to a greased 8x8-inch baking pan. Cover pan snugly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees until rice is tender but still a bit crunchy, about 1 hour. Remove bay leaves and serve immediately. To serve, mold rice in an 8-ounce cup. Place 2 cups on each serving plate for a main course or 1 cup for an appetizer.

Smiling Joe,

I was born and raised in new iberia, the true heart of cajun country. i have literally eaten gumbo proabably over 2000 times OR MORE, the same goes for Jamabalya and Etoufee. I have probably cooked over 1000 pots of gumbo, for as much as 400 people at once. Everyone I know back home cooks it differently and I have had it a jillion different ways. If you really want to learn how to cook it, call me at 615-337-7619 and I will cook it for you at flip-flops if you like. And to clear up all the confusion I will explain below.

1. If something is made with a roux, it is considered a stew or gumbo, depening on the amount of stock added to the roux. A lot of stock creates a gumbo, a little creates a stew. For instance, crawfish made with a roux, it is not etoufee, it is Crawfish Stew, the same goes for Shrimp, etc...

2. Etoufee, for the local Cajuns of new iberia is made with butter and onions only and the crawfish fat. no roux. a roux would make it a stew.

3. Jambalaya is generally not made with a roux.



Of course, ask any true Cajun there opinion and they will tell based on what they know from there home area.

flipflop, thanks for the further explanation. I understand about the varied ways of interpreting a single food item. People get rather angry when others try to change it, don't they? As I stated, I cook a mean pot of Gumbo, so I don't need help there. (Sounds like you were offering to help with gumbo. )

The Etoufee at NOLA Jazzfest which I had was what you call a stew. That is what I liked. I don't think I would enjoy the New Iberia Etoufee as much, though it does sound like it might be rather tasty.

Thanks again for all the explanations, everyone.

I grew up in New Orleans, spent 15 years around Lafayette and married a guy from Rayne. There's a big difference in food from "the city" and cajun country. Jambalya is a rice dish. It can be meat or seafood. Brown or red. Like gumbo New Orleans jambalaya tends to be red, has some form of tomatoes and seafood based. Cajun Jambalya tends to be brown and meat and sausage.
My MIL made the best ettoufe(sp)
Recipe
Chop up some onions bell pepper and celery. Saute in a stick of butter till clear. Don't brown. Add peeled crawfish. Simmer until the crawfish are fully cooked. Peeled crawfish in the bag, at least the ones from Louisianna, are not fully cooked.
Season with Tony Chacere's. Serve over rice.

I made this dish for New Year's Day. Served it with smothered cabbage. It was wonderful!! 😀

John Folse's Cajun Hoppin' John

1 (16-ounce) cans of black-eyed peas
1/4 cup bacon fat or vegetable shortening
4 boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced red bell peppers
1/4 cup diced yellow bell peppers
1 tbls. diced garlic
1/2 pound tasso, cubed
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
(I couldn't find any good Louisiana sausage at Publix so I used a kielbasa which worked fine)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cups long-grain rice
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Louisiana hot sauce to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 350? F. In a large Dutch oven, heat bacon fat or shortening over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs and remove from pan. Add onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes until vegetables are wilted. Add tasso and smoked sausage. Cook 3-5 additional minutes. Add black-eyes peas and chicken stock and season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. You may wish to over season slightly as the rice will absorb much of the seasoning. Add rice, green onions and parsley. Blend well, bring to a rolling boil, cover and place in oven. Cook for 45 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven and allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.

DrSvelte that recipe looks delish; I'm not over-the-top wild about black eyed peas, but this recipe might change that for me!