Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, will be celebrated today in New Orleans, the Gulf region, and anywhere that people are looking to live it up before Ash Wednesday starts the observance of Lent. For Laney Jahkel-Parrish, the pastry chef at 300 East, it means king cake, jambalaya, and the fond memories of rollicking good times at Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans, Mobile, and her home town of Pensacola, Florida.

Having grown up on the Gulf, cooking and savoring Cajun and Creole classics her entire life, and having partaken in many Mardi Gras parades, Laney is practically an expert in one of America’s most original and enjoyable traditions.

With only a handful of Charlotte area bakeries doing king cakes this Mardi Gras, Laney was lucky that a thoughtful friend sent her one from the famous Dong Phuong bakery in New Orleans. “They’ve been around forever, but have kind of now in the last several years, gotten the clout of having the best king cakes,” says Jahkel-Parrish of the Vietnamese bakery. “It was amazing, even overnighted and delivered it was one of the best king cakes I’ve ever had.”

Aside from indulging in the sweet tradition of king cakes each Mardi Gras, Jahkel-Parrish almost always makes her jambalaya, a dish easy enough to put together on a Tuesday night that still satisfies that craving for the flavors of the Gulf coast.

“You can’t know it until you’ve experienced it first hand,” notes Jahkel-Parrish of the liveliest Mardi Gras festivities in the historic center of New Orleans. “There’s an energy to it, it’s raucous, boisterous, and fun…the marching bands and dance troupes have so much character.”

It’s still possible to get a taste of that French Quarter energy up here in Charlotte. Turn up some ragtime jazz, make yourself a stiff New Orleans cocktail like a hurricane or sazerac, and enjoy Laney’s homemade jambalaya, a recipe she has so kindly agreed to share below. Let the good times roll! —Travis Mullis

Jambalaya

Ingredients
1 pound medium peeled, deveined shrimp
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (Zatarain’s or Tony Chachere’s)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 can fire roasted tomatoes, drained with liquid reserved
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
3 cups chicken stock
Green onion, chopped, for garnish

Directions
1. In separate bowls, toss the chicken and shrimp each with Cajun seasoning to coat evenly. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil over in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the chicken and sausage until browned, then remove from the pan and set aside. To the same pan, add the onions, peppers, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire, and hot sauces. Stir in the rice and slowly add the broth and reserved juice from the canned tomatoes. Bring the rice to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low, then cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Return the chicken and sausage to the pan and add the shrimp.
4. Cover and cook for 10 minutes longer. Turn off the heat, and allow the jambalaya to continue to steam 10 minutes longer before serving. Serve topped with green onion.

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