Possibly the most famous of all Louisiana Cajun-Creole creations, jambalaya has as many versions, and utilizes as wide a variety of ingredients, as any dish in all of American cookery. The name most likely derives from the French jambon (ham), the African ya (rice), with an à la tossed in to link the two primary ingredients, but as anyone who has visited New Orleans or Cajun country knows, everything from pork, sausage, chicken, crawfish, shrimp, and various vegetables and seasonings can show up in the dish. All Louisianans take their jambalaya very seriously, but none more so than the citizens of the Cajun town of Gonzales, where an official jambalaya cook-off takes place every year. My own romance with jambalaya began many years ago, when I was asked to judge an enormous buffet of dishes in New Orleans prepared by some two dozen unknown local chefs. When I pointed to a sublime jambalaya and said I’d like to meet the person responsible, over stalked an enormous man who quietly introduced himself as Paul Prudhomme. In this particular recipe, feel free to use small fresh shrimp if crawfish are not available, as well as a half a cup or so of cooked ham, spicy dried sausage, or even leftover cubed chicken.