Individual pumpkins filled with flavorful jambalaya will ingrigue your guests and family. With each bite, the diner gets a taste of the mild-flavored cooked pumpkin which is a wonderful foil to the slightly spicy jambalaya. And each person gets their own jambalaya-filled pumpkin!
Cooked chicken or any cooked meat, poultry, or shellfish may be used instead of the Andouille sausage and shrimp. This is a great way to use leftovers! Add your choice of meat, poultry, or shellfish when the jambalaya is done, stir and let set for a few minutes just to heat the additions.
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 6 1-pound pumpkins
- 1/4 cup corn oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups raw rice
- 1 pound cooked shrimp
- 1/2 pound Andouille or other smoked sausage, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Cut the top quarter off each pumpkin. Remove seeds (save if desired) and fibers. Place pumpkins on baking sheet with 1/2-inch water in bottom (don't bake the tops). Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn pumpkins upside down on a rack to drain and cool for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomatoes, stock, and seasonings and bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice, stir, and reduce the heat to mediumm-low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 25 minutes longer.
Add the cooked shrimp and Andouile sausage (or other meat, poultry or shellfish of choice), stir, cover and allow to set for 5 minutes to heat the shrimp and Andouille.
Divide the jambalaya among the 6 pumpkin shells, and sprinkle with parsley. Return to the 350ºF oven and bake for 20 minutes, loosely covered with foil. May be served with the top lids askew, or without the tops.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: May be made a day or two ahead up to this point, covered and refrigerated, and baked just before serving. Bake for 25 minutes, instead of 20 minutes, since the jambalaya-filled pumpkins will be cold from the refrigerator.
BONUS TIP: To make this even quicker and easier, you may use 2 packages of Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix following the instructions on the box, and adding the cooked shrimp and sausage when jambalaya is done. Stir and allow to set for 5 minutes.
Follow instructions above for baking the pumpkins, filling the pumpkins with the prepared jambalaya, and returning to the oven for 20 minutes. (Zatarain's is the only packaged jambalaya which I use.)