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Cabbage Jambalaya

Source of Recipe

From "Acadiana Table" by George Graham


Recipe Introduction

"Cabbage shows up frequently in my culinary repertoire, but this jambalaya version is my latest favorite. It combines the best of a traditional Cajun dirty rice dressing cooked down with cabbage and seasonings like smoked ham hocks and chunks of tangy andouille sausage. Some simply call this cabbage dressing or smothered cabbage. Whatever you call it, this is a full-flavored, one-dish meal or a savory side dish to serve with chicken or pork."

List of Ingredients

◦� 2 large heads of green cabbage, cored and chopped
◦� 2 large smoked ham hocks (6 ounces each)
◦� 8 cups chicken stock
◦� 2 cups diced yellow onion
◦� 1 cup diced celery
◦� 1 cup diced green bell pepper
◦� 2 containers (16 ounces) rice dressing mix
◦� 4 cups long-grain white rice
◦� 2 cups (16 ounces) chopped andouille sausage (preferably) or smoked pork sausage
◦� 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
◦� Dash of hot sauce
◦� 1 tablespoon kosher salt
◦� 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Place the cabbage, ham hocks, and chicken stock in a large pot with a heavy lid. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 hour or until the cabbage is tender. Turn off the heat and pour off all the braising liquid, reserving the liquid.

Remove the bones from the ham hocks and break up the meat; add the meat back to the pot. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, and rice dressing mix to the pot. Stir to combine. Add the rice, andouille, Cajun seasoning, a dash of hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour 4 cups of the reserved cabbage braising liquid into the pot and stir to evenly combine.

Turn the heat to high and once it begins to boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot and simmer for 45 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. Taste and add more hot sauce, salt, and pepper, if needed.

Serves 6 to 10




❧ Table Tips:

✯ This dish should be spicy, but I urge you to correct the seasoning toward the end of cooking, as the rice dressing mix and andouille will add heat.

✯ I like this jambalaya in the Cajun style (without tomatoes), but I will admit that a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles would be a tasty Creole-style addition.

✯ Using frozen rice dressing mix (Savoie's is my favorite) is a shortcut to making this recipe tasty and no-hassle. It is a uniquely Louisiana product spiked with seasonings, pork, liver, and a whole host of funky Cajun ingredients. I urge you to try it in this dish.