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Shrimp Jambalaya

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 6, 2011

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Shrimp Jambalaya

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil 8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise, then cut into ¼-inch half-moons1 pound large shell-on shrimp (31 to 40 per pound)1 onion, chopped fine1 rib celery, chopped fine1 green bell pepper, chopped fine5 cloves garlic, minced1 ½ cups long grain white rice 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, with ¼ cup juice reserved2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice 1 bay leaf 2 scallions, sliced thin

Before You Begin

When shopping, look for shrimp that are still in their shells. If you cannot find andouille sausage, substitute an equal amount of chorizo.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to plate lined with paper towel. Add shrimp to pot and cook until shells are lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer shrimp to large bowl and refrigerate.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add rice, tomato paste, salt, and thyme and cook until rice is coated with fat, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, clam juice, bay leaf, and sausage. Place square of aluminum foil directly on surface of rice. Bring to boil, cover pot, transfer to oven, and bake until rice is almost tender and most of liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, peel shrimp (devein if desired) and discard shells. Remove pot from oven, lift off aluminum foil, and gently stir in peeled shrimp and any accumulated juices. Replace foil and lid, return to oven, and cook until rice is fully tender and shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, discard foil and bay leaf, and fold in scallions. Serve.
Shrimp Jambalaya

Shrimp Jambalaya

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise, then cut into ¼-inch half-moons
1 pound large shell-on shrimp (31 to 40 per pound)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, with ¼ cup juice reserved
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 bay leaf
2 scallions, sliced thin

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise, then cut into ¼-inch half-moons
1 pound large shell-on shrimp (31 to 40 per pound)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, with ¼ cup juice reserved
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 bay leaf
2 scallions, sliced thin

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise, then cut into ¼-inch half-moons
1 pound large shell-on shrimp (31 to 40 per pound)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, with ¼ cup juice reserved
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 bay leaf
2 scallions, sliced thin

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Rendering sausage and sautéing the shrimp with their shells on added valuable flavor to our Shrimp Jambalaya recipe. We cooked the raw rice briefly with the sautéed vegetables so that the grains were thoroughly coated with the fat in the pan, then cooked the rice in a mixture of clam juice and reserved liquid from the tomatoes. This lent the rice a quick and easy shellfish flavor. And as with any good shrimp jambalaya recipe, we flavored ours with the trinity of Cajun cooking: onion, celery, and green bell pepper.

Before You Begin

When shopping, look for shrimp that are still in their shells. If you cannot find andouille sausage, substitute an equal amount of chorizo.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to plate lined with paper towel. Add shrimp to pot and cook until shells are lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer shrimp to large bowl and refrigerate.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add rice, tomato paste, salt, and thyme and cook until rice is coated with fat, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, clam juice, bay leaf, and sausage. Place square of aluminum foil directly on surface of rice. Bring to boil, cover pot, transfer to oven, and bake until rice is almost tender and most of liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, peel shrimp (devein if desired) and discard shells. Remove pot from oven, lift off aluminum foil, and gently stir in peeled shrimp and any accumulated juices. Replace foil and lid, return to oven, and cook until rice is fully tender and shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, discard foil and bay leaf, and fold in scallions. Serve.

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