Ingredients
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1 lb Italian sausage (mild or 1 lb hot removed from casing)
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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1 long red chilies or 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
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2 teaspoons cajun seasoning (see Tips, below)
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1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
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1 cup pearl barley, thoroughly rinsed under cold running water
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3 cups chicken stock
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8 ounces medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
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1 roasted red pepper, finely chopped (see Tips, below)
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2 onions, finely chopped
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1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes with juice, coarsely chopped (28 oz/796 mL)
Instructions
- In a nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium high heat, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Drain all but 1 tablespoons fat from pan. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add onions to pan and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, chili pepper, Cajun seasoning, oregano, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add barley and stir well. Add tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Pour mixture over sausage and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Add shrimp and roasted pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes, until shrimp is heated through.
- TIPS:
- If you don’t have a fresh chili pepper, stir in hot pepper sauce to taste, after the jambalaya is cooked.
- Cajun seasoning is available in many supermarkets and specialty food store. If you can’t find it, substitute 1 teaspoons EACH dried thyme leaves and paprika to this recipe.
- To roast peppers: Preheat oven to 400°F Place peppers on a baking sheet and roast, turning two or three times, until the skin on all sides is blackened. (This will take about 25 minutes.) Transfer peppers to a heatproof bowl. Cover with a plate and let stand until cool. Remove and, using a sharp knife, lift off skins. Discard skins and slice according to recipe instructions.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: This dish can be partially prepared the night before it is cooked. Complete Steps 1 and 2, chilling the cooked sausage and tomato barley mixtures separately. Refrigerate overnight. The next morning, continue with Step 3.
- Delicious & Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes.