Real Life Recipes

Chef Jacques' Turkey Jambalaya
As prepared by New Orleans' Chef Jacques and Go South Fresh

  • Turkey Jambalaya

    One of the hallmarks of Creole cuisine, Jambalaya combines cooked rice with tomatoes, onion, green peppers and spices.  Our version turns your holiday leftovers (using cooked turkey in place of chicken) into a delicious, simple-to-assemble Southern feast. 
     
    4 tbsp    butter                                                                      60 mL   
    2 cups    diced Southern U.S. sweet onion                      500 mL   
    1 cup    thinly sliced Southern U.S. celery                         250 mL   
    1 cup    diced Southern U.S. green pepper                      250 mL   
    1-1/2 tbsp    minced garlic                                                  20 mL   
    1 lb    cooked turkey, torn into bite-sized pieces              500 g   
    12 oz    smoked ham, diced                                               375 g   
    3 tsp    poultry seasoning                                                    15 mL   
    1 tsp    cayenne pepper                                                      5 mL   
    2    bay leaves       
    2-1/2 tbsp    tomato paste                                                  35 mL   
    1-3/4 cups    canned diced tomatoes with their juice      425 mL   
    1-3/4 cups    low-sodium chicken broth                            425 mL   
    3/4 cup    tomato sauce                                                      175 mL   
    4 cups    cooked white rice                                                 1 L   
        Salt and pepper to taste       
        Chopped green onions for garnish, if desired       

    In Dutch oven or deep skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery and green pepper and cook, stirring until vegetables are soft and starting to colour, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant and soft, about 2 minutes.  Add cooked turkey, ham, poultry seasoning, cayenne and bay leaves and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.  Add tomato paste and stir to incorporate.  Add diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth and tomato sauce and stir well.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and reduced by approximately one-half, 25 to 30 minutes.  Add rice, stir to incorporate and cook, stirring until hot, 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove bay leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper.

    To serve, ladle Jambalaya on individual plates or a heated platter and garnish with chopped green onions.  Serve immediately.

    Yields approximately 12 cups or 6 to 8 main-course servings.

    Source: www.gosouthfresh.com. Developed by Chef Jacques Leonardi.