There comes a point each year when even the most ardent sandwich fancier (me) has had her fill of turkey and bread sauce-stuffed butties and thoughts turn to giving the big bird a decent send-off. This much-loved Cajun/Creole classic, traditionally made with whatever meat happened to be around, is also easily adapted to festive leftovers.
Prep 20 min
Cook 45 min
Rest 10 min
Serves 4-6
½ tsp white peppercorns
½ tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp smoked paprika
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
½ tsp salt
1 onion
1 stick celery
1 green pepper
4 spring onions
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp goose fat, lard or neutral oil
800ml turkey or chicken stock
1 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce, plus extra to serve
300g long-grain rice
About 400g cooked turkey or chicken
About 100g leftover ham or sausages (see step 2)
1 A note on additions/substitutions …
Note that, though this is a recipe inspired by the drier, tomato-free Cajun school of jambalaya, the turkey and ham addition is entirely my own and makes absolutely no claim to authenticity. Feel free, with due apologies to Cajuns, to substitute other leftovers, from chopped plant-based sausages to seafood to roast veg, as required, and change the fat and stock accordingly.
2 … and on the sausages
A key flavour in many jambalayas is andouille, a smoked pork sausage that is hard to come by in the UK. This is a recipe designed to use up leftovers, however, so I’ve replaced that element with smoked paprika, but if you don’t have quite enough meat, chunks of kielbasa or smoked chorizo are the best stand-ins and should be added in step 4.
3 Make the spice mix
Fry the peppercorns, paprika and cayenne in a small, dry pan over a high heat until you begin to smell them toasting, then tip into a mortar or spice grinder to grind the peppercorns to a fine powder. Stir in the thyme, bay and salt, then set aside.
4 Prep the vegetable base
Peel and finely chop the onion, and trim and finely chop the celery and green pepper (these are known as the holy trinity of Cajun and Creole cookery, but if you really dislike the last, use a red pepper instead). Chop the spring onions, using both the green and white parts, but keeping them separate. Peel and crush the garlic.
5 Start frying
Put the fat in a wide pan for which you have a lid and set it over a medium-high heat; if you happen to have any fatty pieces of ham or turkey skin, or if you’re using cooked sausages, chop and add these to the pan, too, and saute until the fat renders (if you’re using fresh sausages, slice them and fry until cooked through). Scoop out the meat and put it to one side.
6 Fry the veg, then add the stock and hot sauce
Add the onion, celery, green pepper, spring onion whites and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring regularly, until softened and translucent; turn down the heat if at any point they threaten to colour.
Stir in the spice mix, cook for another couple of minutes, then pour in the stock and hot sauce.
7 Stir in the rice
Bring to a simmer, add the rice, stir once, then turn down the heat slightly. Leave to bubble away gently for about 10 minutes, then turn the rice once more – it’s important to stir it as little as possible, to avoid mushy results – cover with a tight-fitting lid, turn down the heat as low as it will go and leave to steam for 15 minutes.
8 Add the cooked meat
Meanwhile, shred the turkey and chop the ham into bite-size chunks. Once the rice is ready, and working quickly to keep as much steam in the pot as possible, add these, as well as any chopped sausage, to the pan. Turn once to distribute, then replace the lid and leave to sit off the heat for 10 minutes.
9 Season and serve with more hot sauce
Taste the jambalaya for seasoning, adjust with more salt and hot sauce, if necessary, then scatter the spring onion greens over the top and serve immediately. Provide extra hot sauce on the table for those who feel that Christmas has left them with some making up to do in the spice department.
