Aunt Mary's Jambalaya

The next recipe in my family collection is my Aunt Mary's Jambalaya. I'm pretty sure all the Clark sisters have this recipe but no one owned it like Aunt Mary. It's s a yearly holiday tradition in the Polk household, usually on New Years, to have Jambalaya and tamales. We always felt fortunate to be invited to this final meal of the holiday cycle over the years. This Jambalaya isn't as spicy as the stuff they serve in Catahoula Parrish but that's a feature not a defect. It's perfect for large gatherings where the tolerances for spicy food vary widely. Besides there is always some Tabasco in the cupboard to spice things up, even if it's there just to mix bloody marys. I've taken the liberty of updating measurements and ingredients to more accurately reflect what's on the grocery store shelves these days and for changes in modern cooking techniques.

Mary Polk's Jambalaya

Ingredients

2 Tbs Olive oil or your preferred fat of choice
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
1 cup cooked ham, diced
12 small pork sausages(little smokies) cut in pieces(1/4 inch)
1 20oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup uncooked rice (cooks note: parboiled rice such as Zatarains works best)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp ground thyme (cooks note: for fresh thyme use one or two sprigs. Remove before serving)
1 tsp dried parsley (cooks note: double or triple for fresh chopped parsley)
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add oil to a large dutch oven or saucepan and bring heat to medium high. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and saute till onions start to become translucent. Add the ham, sausage, and chicken. Continue sauteing for another five minutes. Add tomatoes, rice, chicken stock and spices. Stir well. Transfer the covered dutch oven to the oven or place the mixture in a covered casserole and place that in the oven. Bake for 50 minutes, stirring several times, as it cooks. Towards the end of the cooking time, check to make sure most of the cooking liquid has been absorbed. If it looks too wet leave the lid off and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Pearl Barley Tabouleh

This is a variation on traditional Tabouleh that's very popular with my family. The differences are partially due to taste preferences in my household and partially due to availability of ingredients. I use pearl barley instead of wheat curd because I like the extra texture and punch of saltiness it adds. My recipe is also a little different when it comes to the type and quantity of herbs I use. I find traditional versions a little heavy on the parsley. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients
1/4 cup pearl barley
2/3 cup of water plus 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced fresh tomato
1/2 cup diced fresh cucumber
4-5 scallions chopped or 1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
1 Tbs minced parsley
1 Tbs minced oregeno
1 Tbs minced sweet basil
Juice of 1 lemon
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Combine water, salt, and barley in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to lowest setting and cover. Cook for twenty minutes and remove from heat and let cool. Place the cooked barley and any water that's left in a bowl. Add the other ingredients and toss to combine them. Place in the refrigerator for two hours and then allow to come back to room temperature before serving. It's even better if you allow the flavors to mingle in the fridge over night.

Spicy Picadillo Empenadas

This recipe is something of a riff on Tex-Mex tacos and traditional empanadas. I point this out because empanadas are a wonderful vehicle for all kinds of savory and sweet fillings. Think latino hot pockets! They're great for holidays, pot lucks, and even Super Bowl parties. So feel free to experiment with your own variations. The filling I'm using today is a riff on the picadillo taco which is served for breakfast lunch and dinner at family taco stands in my native central Texas. It's a dish that's flavorful, satisfying, and most of all economical. Combine that with an empanada and you have the ultimate finger food! They are best served warm with chimichurri or other hot sauce for dipping. I'll start with the filling then follow with the dough recipe and assembly instructions.

Spicy Picadillo Filling

1lb ground beef
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1/2 medium white onion chopped
1 large russet potato peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1 Tbs salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika(preferably hungarian)
1 tsp comino(ground cumin)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbs water

In a medium sauce add potatoes and enough water to cover by several inches. Add a few dashes of salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for twenty minutes. Drain and set potatoes aside for later. In a medium sauce pan(I reuse the same one) brown the meat on medium high until just cooked, about 5 minutes, tossing and breaking up the meat as you go. Add the remaining ingredients except for the potatoes and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onions and peppers soften. About ten minutes. Add the potatoes, stir in well, and then set aside to cool. Now we can make the dough.

Savory empanada dough for baking

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz shortening or butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk or water

You can make the dough by hand or use a stand mixer with a paddle but I prefer using a food processor. Add the dry ingredients and shortening and pulse until the mixture becomes grainy. Add the egg. Add the water slowly and pulse until a clumpy dough forms. You may not need all the water depending on how accurate your flour measurement was. Empty the dough into a bowl and knead a few times to make sure any dry flour is worked in then form into ball. Now we're ready to assemble our empanadas. Pinch off the dough and roll it into 1 1/2 inch balls. I prefer to use a tortilla press to flatten the balls into disks but you can roll them out by hand on a floured surface if you don't have one. A note on tortilla presses, buy a cast iron one. The wood and plastic presses are a joke and I broke my aluminum one after a week. A good cast iron press can be had for about 25 dollars and will last generations if properly cared for. To use a press line both faces with plastic wrap, place your dough ball in the middle and give it a good squeeze. I find I get a rounder disk if I flatten the ball slightly in my hand before I press. The result looks something like this.

Place a spoon full or so of the filling in the center and fold the disk and press the edges together. Then take the empanada in on hand and use your other to pinch and flatten the edge. Then fold the edge back toward the body of the empanada and give it another pinch to seal it. Experienced empanada cooks use this last step to create an attractive fluted edge. I'm still mastering this myself so don't worry if your empanadas aren't picture perfect. They'll still taste great. Once assembled place your empanadas on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. If you still have left over filling, no worries! Just pop it in a warm tortilla and reward yourself for all that hard work. To give them a nice golden finish I brush them with an egg wash before they go in the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes and serve while still warm. I hope you find making empanadas as satisfying as I do and stop buying hot pockets for cripes sake. Look for a sweet empanada recipe in the near future!