I am in Indianapolis quite often visiting my man and one of my favorite things about my visits are the new restaurants to try. In Broad Ripple Village, where he lives, there are very few chains and an abundance of hole in the wall/ original places to eat. One of my favorite places for lunch is an authentic Cajun, creole joint called Yatz with absolutely amazing food. They only serve a few different options a day and it is all made fresh. Each dish is poured over a pile of rice and every single one is mind-blowing. It’s served with toasted bread with some sort of garlic sauce… simply amazing. When coming across this dish I had hopes of it bringing out some flavors comparable to Yatz… I even attempted making some crusty bread for the side.
Now, it didn’t quite compare to Yatz, but it was still pretty darn delicious. The chicken andouille sausage had a perfect smoky flavor and blended nicely with the spices. It was an easy clean-up, too, since I just threw everything in a dutch oven on the stove. Always a plus! I suggest trying this out (and taking a trip to good ol’ Yatz).
Brown Rice Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chicken Sausage, and Bell Peppers
What you’ll need:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 ounces Andouille chicken sausage, diced
- ½ Spanish onion, diced
- ½ each green, yellow and red bell peppers, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- 1¼ cup brown rice
- 3½ cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Scallions and cilantro for serving
What to do:
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch oven or large saucepan. When hot, add the diced chicken sausage and sauté for about 4 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic and cook for 3 minutes until the vegetables are just tender and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the diced fire roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook for about 3 minutes until the mixture is simmering.
- Mix in the brown rice and cook for 1 minute before adding the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for 50 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Taste your jambalaya, and season with salt and a little extra cayenne if you’re into spicy.
- Mix the shrimp into your jambalaya, cover and cook for 5 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through. (Cooked shrimp are bright pink and opaque, people.)
- Ladle the jambalaya into bowls and garnish with sliced scallions and chopped cilantro (and a sprinkle of your favorite hot sauce).