Perfect Shrimp Jambalaya (ATK)

• doses: 4-6

Ingredientes

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise, then cut into ½ inch half-moons

1 pound large (31 to 40 per pound) shell-on shrimp

1 onion, chopped fine

1 celery rib, chopped fine

1 green bell pepper, chopped fine

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, with ¼ cup juice reserved

2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice

1 bay leaf

2 scallions, sliced thin

Instruções

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to plate lined with paper towel. Add shrimp to pot and cook until shells are lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer shrimp to large bowl and refrigerate.

3. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add rice, tomato paste, salt, and thyme and cook until rice is coated with fat, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, clam juice, bay leaf, and sausage. Place square of aluminum foil directly on surface of rice. Bring to boil, cover pot, transter to oven, and bake until rice is almost tender and most of liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, peel shrimp (devein if desired) and discard shells. Remove pot from oven, lift off aluminum foil, and gently stir in peeled shrimp and any accumulated juices. Replace foil and lid, return to oven, and cook until rice is fully tender and shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, discard foil and bay leaf, and fold in scal- lions. Serve.

Notas

I'm a New Orleans native, but jambalaya has never been a favorite with me. It's usually a gummy glob of overcooked mush—it's very hard to get the rice cooked properly.

Can you help? -Holly Collins, Ashland City, Tenn.

When shopping, look for shrimp that are still in their shells. If you cannot find andouille sausage, substitute an equal amount of

chorizo.

Foiled Again. Baking the jambalaya in the oven ensures that the rice won't

scorch, as often happens when this dish is prepared on top of the stove. A great form of insurance against any persis- tently crunchy grains of rice is a sheet of aluminum foil, placed directly on the surface of the rice (and pressed against the sides of the pot) before the jambalaya goes into the oven. The foil holds in steam and heat, ensuring that every grain of rice cooks perfectly. And, whatever you do, don't stir the rice as it cooks—this will only make it gluey.