Chicken Sausage Jambalaya with Shrimp

Jambalaya! Love the sound of that, don't you? I haven't had too much experience cooking with shrimp. Friday's upcoming One Day Sale on shrimp at Whole Foods Woburn seemed like a good time to try something new. The deal is that on October 19, the price on on 31/40 count cooked shrimp will be 6.99/lb, discounted from $14.99- that's more than half price if you're keeping track at home! This shrimp sale is Whole Foods wide, as described here on their website--you might want to double check your local market confirm that they are offering it. I was looking to try out a recipe with some good spice involved, and this Chicken Sausage Jambalaya with Shrimp adopted from the Whole Foods blog looked like just the thing. If you click through to the Whole Foods site and look at the nutritional info, you'll see the use of chicken sausage and shrimp make this a healthy meal. I followed their recipe with just a few minor adjustments.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 packages pre-cooked spicy Italian chicken sausage (I used Palermo Brand Original Brat Hans)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cup water
2 1/4 cups long-grain brown rice
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste (I did about 2/3 so that our 7 y.o. would stand a better chance of being able to eat it!)
1 (1-pound) bag frozen okra
1 lb. pre-cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp
Hot sauce for serving

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned. Remove from pot and set aside. Slice sausages diagonally when they have cooled. This is a good time to point out the importance of getting a good quality sausage for dish like this where they play a central role. I'm typing as I cook, for now I'll simply say the ones I used smell great!.(post-meal: yep, the sausages are pretty tasty!).

Stirring up the Jambalaya!

Add remaining oil, celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Cook until softened. Stir in tomatoes, broth, water, rice, thyme, salt and cayenne. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 35 minutes, stirring now and then. Add frozen okra and reserved sausage. Cook on medium heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, until rice is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add shrimp and continue cooking until heated through. The sale shrimp I was using were pre-cooked and not frozen when I got them, so 10 minutes was plenty to heat them and absorb the flavors.  The original Whole Foods recipe called for frozen, presumably the frozen shrimp would then just need a bit more time after you add them. Taste and season with more salt or cayenne if desired. With 2/3 tsp of cayenne, the dish had plenty of vibrant flavor, but wasn't overwhelming...to the adult's palates, at least!

Wine Pairing: Anticipating some heat in the dish, I asked Ray at Pairings for a suggestion. He pointed me in the direction of one of his favorites to go with Thai Food, the 2009 Sipp Mack Gewurztraminer ($19). I got honeysuckle on the nose, and taste of honey and a bit of lemon. Good mouthfeel--especially after a bite of Jambalaya! A good pairing.

Full disclosure: Whole Foods Woburn provided me with the ingredients for the meal to help spread word about the special. I chose the recipe, and the results are fully my own!