Last weekend, we had some good friends over for games and dinner. They're a young couple, and my wife and I had become fast friends with his parents, and watched him grow up. Now he's married and telling this story makes me feel really old...
Anyway, I made some dutch oven for them. I did a variation of the old Jambalaya recipe, combined with the Lemon Salmon recipe I did for my folks and at the cookoff. It turned out REALLY well.
I started off just making the jambalaya according to the recipe. The only thing I added was a hefty portion of medium-sized shrimp. I did cook it a bit differently, though. I put the dutch oven (a 12", open) on a lot of coals to cook the sausage, onions, and peppers, and then when I added the broth (I used a cup and a half) and the tomatoes and spices, I covered the oven, and did coals on top as well as under. Using more liquid and keeping the lid on cooked the rice much better, and I found it wasn't runnier, like I'd feared it would be.
When I put the broth and tomatoes, etc, into the dutch oven, I also set the salmon portions on top. I dusted them liberally with this really great cajun spice mix we've got, and then topped that with a slice of butter and a slice of lemon, just like the other salmon recipe.
I also tried to do some garlic butter cheese biscuits, but that didn't turn out so spectacularly. I did it from a mix, and added butter, grated cheese and minced garlic. They tasted OK, but I'm wanting really bad to match what they do at Red Lobster, and I'm not even getting close.
Still, I got lots of kudos on the jambalaya, and my friend said he doesn't even really like seafood. So, that worked out well!
I get to do Dutch Oven Tamales again this weekend, for my wife's scrapbooking party!
Mark,
ReplyDeleteI've have made Jambalaya a few times this year. I would love to try yours some time.
Next weekend, 22 Sep, there is a geocaching / Dutch Oven event up in farmington. A few of us are cooking food as a demo / education to others. It's a DOG event, but held by geocachers. I'll be making two pots of Jambalaya at this event.
On 29 Sep, Storm Mountain is having its DOG event at the Trikke Store in SLC. Would love to meet you there? Maybe we can both make Jambabalaya?
Ranes