How To Make The Best One-Pot Ham Jambalaya
This One-pot Ham Jambalaya rice bowl dinner is a great dish to use leftover ham, it's easy, made in one pot, and a perfect comfort food on chilly nights. Delicious when topped with feta. I'm leaning on the creole style jambalaya here, using tomatoes. This is a delicious rice, meat, seafood and vegetable dish that can be served all on it's own or with some crusty bread or a salad on the side.
Equipment
- A dutch oven or 4-5 quart pot.
- knife
- Cuttingboard
- A bowl or pot with lid for soaking the rice
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Lard
- 2 Onions chopped
- 1 Pepper chopped
- 1 cup Celery chopped
- 1 lb Ham cubed
- 2-3 cloves Garlic chopped
- 3 Tomatoes chopped
- 1-2 cups Shrimps Crayfish, or Crab
- 2 cups Mushrooms chopped (optional)
- 1 qt Chicken or fish stock or ham, beef, pork, or vegetable stock
- 2 cups Brown rice or other grain, such as barley or a mix of grains,
Spices and Herbs
- ¼ cup Parsley, fresh, chopped or 2 tbsp dried or 2 tbsp dried
- 1 tsp Thyme, fresh or ½ tsp dried
- ½ tsp Cloves powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika powder
- 1-2 tsp Ginger paste or ½-1 tsp dried powder
- 1 tsp Bluegreen spirulina
- 1 tsp Cayenne or 2-3 spicy cayenne or serrano peppers
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Pepper
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Optional: The day before soak your rice in water with some whey, sourdough, vinegar, or lemon juice to reduce phytic acid and enhance absorption of nutrients. Drain before using.
Making the Jambalaya
- Heat the fat in the dutch oven.
- Add the 'trinity' onions, celery, and peppers and sauté for 5 minutes. If you're using fresh hot peppers, you can include them too.
- Dump in the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes to brown.
- Add the ham and mix in.
- Add the garlic, herbs, and spices, stir and sauté for another minute.
- Dump in the tomatoes, shrimps, and other add-ons.
- Add the soup stock and rice.
- You shouldn't need any salt if you're using a country ham, but otherwise, taste the broth and add a bit of salt if needed and more cayenne if it's not hot enough for you.
- Stir well, cover, bring to a simmer, stir again and then cook on low heat for 45 minutes or until your grains are soft.
- Serve as is or with crusty bread, corn bread, or a side salad. I love to top mine with fresh chopped garlic, fresh ground pepper, some parsley and homemade feta cheese. Sooo good!
Storage
- Chill the leftovers quicker by placing the pot in a cold water bath and stirring a few times to prevent growth of bad bacteria in the seafood, or spread it on a baking sheet to cool quickly.
- You can then store this in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. (I go longer, but, but that is not recommended).
- You can also freeze the jambalaya for up to 3 months in an airtight container or bag, once it's completely cooled. Then defrost it in the refrigerator when you want to use it.
Notes
Tips And Substitutions For Making The Best One-Pot Ham Jambalaya
- You can leave out the shrimps or substitute with crayfish, fish, or crab. I made it with fresh caught salmon in the past and it was delicious.
- I often replace part of the rice with hulled barley, because I love the chewy texture. You could also use other grains if you like.
- Use canned tomatoes instead of the fresh ones. A small can (14 oz) would work fine.
- I love using lots of spices, but feel free to simplify, just don’t leave out the cloves, they make this dish special. I like to add some anti-inflammatory spices and I love adding spirulina for a more sea-foody flavor and its health benefits.
- This is wonderful topped with fresh chopped garlic, fresh ground pepper and feta cheese. A dollop of sourcream would be very nice too, I imagine, and grated cheddar cheese is also very good. I’m not going for authenticity here, lol. Just making a delicious homemade meal adjusted to my preferences. So feel free to do the same.
- When I reheat my leftovers, I like to drop an egg into it. More protein and it tastes so good. It is best when it’s medium done in my opinion.
- Soak your rice for better absorbance of the nutrients and to reduce phytic acid. Just put it in a bowl, pour over some warm water with vinegar, lemon juice, sourdough, or whey. Then let it sit overnight or up to 24 hours.