Seafood Jambalaya from the Hummingbird Way

Ingredients

24 shrimp (size 21/25 per pound) headless, in shell

4 medium sized fresh tomatoes

3 yellow onions

2 lb red tomatoes, scored and cored

1 lb Conecuh sausage, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 green bell peppers, diced

4 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup light beer

1 small bunch fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 quart jasmine rice, cooked ¾ done

12 Alabama shrimp, peeled

12 Alabama oysters, shucked (liquor reserved)

1 lb fresh Alabama crabmeat (non-pasteurized)

¼ cup parsley, chopped

¼ cup green onions, finely chopped (reserve some

for garnish)

Blackening seasoning (use sparingly)

Kosher salt and white pepper

Tabasco sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Season tomatoes with salt and white pepper and roast 15–20 minutes, until lightly colored and skins loosen. Cool, peel, and crush by hand, reserving all juices and pan liquid.

2. Season shrimp with blackening and salt. Sear in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until halfway cooked. Remove and reserve.

3. In the same skillet, render sausage until golden. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; sauté until nearly translucent. Add garlic and reduce heat to medium.

4. Deglaze with beer and reduce almost completely. Add crushed tomatoes, reserved oyster liquor, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with Tabasco, blackening, and salt as needed. Add a small amount of water if necessary — the mixture should remain loose and soupy. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

5. Stir in rice, parsley, green onions (reserve garnish), shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat. Adjust seasoning.

6. Transfer skillet to oven and bake 6–8 minutes, until rice is fully cooked and oyster edges begin to curl.

7. Garnish with remaining green onions and serve immediately.