Sunset Cooks! Jambalaya by Ken Reggio
Ken Reggio in his Sunset kitchen.
Sunset Cooks! is a column that features home cooks who live in the Sunset (District 4). We highlight the recipe — and story — of a special dish they want to share with their neighbors.
Meet Ken Reggio and try his jambalaya.
About Ken:
Ken was born and raised in New Orleans. He moved to San Francisco in 1978 with Carol Schulte, and they married four years later. After first living in the Inner Sunset, they settled in the Outer Sunset 33 years ago. Ken and Carol raised two kids, Joey and Tina, who attended St. Gabriel and St. Ignatius.
Ken spent most of his career in social services, addressing especially the needs of people experiencing homelessness. He retired in 2017, having served as executive director of Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco for 16 years. A former Christian Brother (the same religious order that runs Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep here in the city), Ken started his career teaching in New Orleans and Santa Fe. In addition to cooking, he enjoys hiking, reading, and being Papaw to his three under 5-year-old grandchildren — with another on the way!
Tell us about your recipe:
“I grew up eating gumbo, red beans and rice, shrimp creole, jambalaya, and bread pudding — New Orleans food is in my DNA. Jambalaya in Louisiana is like chili in Texas. Everybody's is a little different, and everybody thinks theirs is the best.
What's common to jambalaya is meat, seafood or both; "the trinity" (onion, bell pepper, celery), plus a generous amount of garlic; rice; and Louisiana herbs and spices (bay leaves, thyme, cayenne). Tomatoes are negotiable. I include them. Here's our family's favorite. Try it, then next time vary according to your own taste!”
Ken Reggio’s jambalaya
RECIPE
Ken Reggio’s Jambalaya
Servings: 6 - 8
Total Time: 90 – 120 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2-4 tablespoons butter
2 pounds meat (ham, andouille sausage, and/or boneless chicken thigh), chopped into bite-sized pieces (or substitute shrimp for part of the meat; see note at end)
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3-4 celery ribs, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 whole bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1/3 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups long-grain white rice (converted rice preferred)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (or 2-3 Roma tomatoes, chopped)
3 cups chicken broth
1.5 cups water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup (optional)
Parsley and green onions, chopped (optional)
PREPARATION
Step One
Melt butter with oil in a large, heavy pot or pan over medium-high heat and add meat, stirring for 4-5 minutes till ham and sausage are browned a bit and chicken is cooked through. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside, keeping as much of the butter, oil, and drippings in the pot as possible. (Add another tablespoon or two of butter if the pan is too dry.)
Step Two
Reduce heat to medium and add onions, bell pepper, and celery and saute for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and continue to sauté for another couple minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, mustard, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper and stir into the vegetable mixture.
Step Three
Add the rice to the mixture and stir for about a minute, coating all the grains. Make a good-sized hot spot in the middle of the pan and add the tomato paste, letting it sit unstirred for a minute or so to begin to caramelize, being careful that the rice mixture doesn’t burn. Then stir the caramelized tomato paste, along with the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup into the rice-and-vegetable mixture.
Step Four
Return the meat to the pot and add the chicken broth and water. Stir all together and bring to boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes. Turn off heat with the pot still covered, and let sit for 20-30 minutes.
Step Five
Uncover and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Stir in a generous amount of chopped parsley and or/green onions, if you'd like, and serve.
NOTE: You can substitute shrimp, 1:1 for some of the meat. If you do, shell and devein the shrimp and toss with salt, pepper, and a little sugar (about 1/2 teaspoon for a pound of shrimp), then start by turning heat up to med-high and bronzing the shrimp about a minute on each side. (The sugar will help it caramelize.) Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside, and when they cool a bit, put shrimp in the refrigerator. Proceed with making jambalaya as above, then, with about five minutes left to the simmer at the end, lift the cover, quickly and gently stir the shrimp into the rice mixture, re-cover, and finish as above.
Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Sarah Smith. We encourage residents with journalism experience, retired journalists, and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.