Jumbo Gumbalaya?

Gumbalaya and 2008 Banrock Station Shriaz: 5/5

I’ve never been to New Orleans. One time I debated Tulane as a possibility for college, but that was 2005, and my life would have been very different had I left the nest only to battle Hurricane Katrina.

The only time I have eaten semi-authentic cajun cuisine was at Heaven on Seven, a Louisiana “style” restaurant owned by two Chicagoans. With live “cajun” music, a variety of hot sauces overtaking the table, and gaudy mardi gras decorations, the restaurant felt more like Disney World than authentic New Orleans. And while I understand what cajun cooking consists of, I can honestly say I have never tasted an authentic creole dish.

So I don’t really know what got into me when I thought of making jambalaya, but I decided it was worth a shot.

Now, although the recipe that I followed http://www.gumbocity.com/chicken_sausage_shrimp.html was for gumbo, I did some research and could only find a couple of differences between gumbo and jambalaya. Most traditional gumbos include okra, tend to be more of a soup or stew consistency, and are served over rice. Jambalayas are usually less stew like and are incorporated with rice. But my recipe did not include okra, and was served over rice. So I think I am calling it—gumbalaya.

With my guests Brian, Lucy, Rocio, and Zack coming over between 6:00 and 7:00, I started cooking around 5:00, expecting to get done around 6:30. Unfortunately I am still not the fastest vegetable chopper so prepping the meal took longer than expected, and Zack, having a soccer game to get to, had to take a cup to go, woops.

Now in addition to the actual recipe, I wanted to spice things up a bit by adding some extra flavors. Instead of using 1 can of beef stock, I decided to take the recipe up a notch by adding 30oz of Goose Island Christmas Ale. The effect just added more depth to the dish. Since the recipe included chorizo, I thought some other great additions would be Ro-Tel, some Andouille sausage, cumin, chili powder, paprika, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a can of Ranch Style beans.

Ranch Style Beans? I had never heard of them either until Mike came around. Ranch style beans, http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/brands/brand_info.jsp?cookietest=true&page=ranch_style, are basically chili beans with an attitude. Hailing from texas the beans are canned with Tex-Mex spices, and come in a variety of flavors. They are delicious by themselves or in chili, stews, or gumbalaya.

Luckily Lucy and Brian had a hard time navigating to our apartment so that gave me a little extra time to finish up the recipe. When they arrived it was time to eat. After doing some research I decided an Australian Shiraz would be a great wine to pair with our cajun dish. Something with earthy undertones a medium body, and flavors that would accompany the variety of spices. Asking Rocio to pick up a shiraz, I crossed my fingers for a good pair. She arrived with two bottles of 2008 Banrock Station Shiraz.

With a description of cherry, raspberry, black currant, dark chocolate and spicy oak flavors, I was concerned that the wine would be too fruity to be able to stand against the bold flavors of the gumbalaya. With a whiff I was over taken by the aromatic nose. The description held true as I was immersed in a field of cherries wrapped in warm toasty oak. With an alcohol content of 13% the wine’s body was on the lighter side of medium. Holding on my tongue, the presence was felt, but did not coat each crevasse like that of a heavy bodied merlot. The finish was smooth and clean, with very little tannin to experience.

Catching a whiff of the chorizo in the gumbalaya my mouth began to water again. The first bite was a ethnic jamboree in my mouth. A slow growing heat from the cayenne and chorizo sizzled on my tongue, as perfectly cooked shrimp added texture and sustenance to the over all body of the dish. The cooked peppers, onions, and celery, seemed to coat each bite adding sweetness and earthiness. Each new bite made music in my mouth.

Together the pair did not fail. The lighter body of the shiraz allowed the flavors of the gumbalaya to shine through, while the wines aromatic fruitiness remained recognizable. Together the two did not over power each other, but rather massaged over every zone of my tongue.

Five servings out of the pot, and we hadn’t even made a dent in the gumbalaya. Although I wanted seconds, Brian and Lucy brought a cherry pie, from a bakery by their house, and I did not want to over stuff myself, seeing as thanksgiving was just last week.

With white christmas lights twinkling on Michael and I’s tree and windows, the warmth in the apartment finally felt like Christmas. I whipped out Cranium and we played as we made room for pie. The night was filled with laughter, competition, and good company. Another perfect pair.