I don't think anyone has said this yet but the best way to do rice in jambalaya is to use parboiled rice. It's a different type of rice that works really well in Jambalaya. I don't like it with anything else as I ususally like sticky rice for rice and gravy etc but this stuff won't stick together. I'd be curious to know if @KyleK uses parboiled rice.
Just in case anyone is looking for Parboiled Rice at store...Other names for it is Converted or Enriched Rice.
I have never heard of Parboiled Rice but I remember the commercials for Uncle Ben's Converted Rice. It says below here that 50% of the world's paddy production is parboiled so it would seem like if you randomly buy some rice the odds are 50-50 you are getting parboiled. Parboiled rice (also called converted rice) is rice that has been partially boiled in the husk. The three basic steps of parboiling are soaking, steaming and drying.[1] These steps also make rice easier to process by hand, boost its nutritional profile and change its texture. About 50% of the world’s paddy production is parboiled. The treatment is practiced in many parts of the world such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Guinea, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Nigeria, Thailand, Switzerland, USA and France.[2] Rice is easier to polish by hand (removal of the bran layer) after parboiling but mechanical processing is harder since the bran becomes somewhat oily and tends to clog machinery. Most parboiled rice is milled in the same way as white rice.[citation needed] Parboiling drives nutrients, especially thiamin, from the bran to endosperm,[3]hence parboiled white rice is 80% nutritionally similar to brown rice.[citation needed]Because of this, parboiling was adopted by North American rice growers in the early 20th century.[citation needed]
You have used it before though. That is what is in your Zatarain's mix. My Zatarain's jambalya mix doesn't come in a box, it's in a bag.
Personally, I use Mahatma Long Grain Enriched Rice. Not the same. Here is a good article explaining the difference. http://goo.gl/64XuLv @mobius481 , I have made jambalaya with parboiled rice, and it is a very forgiving rice to cook. Unless you are really drunk, the rice is not going to stick together. That's a good thing. That said, I have made so many thousands of pounds of jambalaya using Mahatma Long Grain Enriched Rice that the parboiled tasted really different to me. My recipe works for what I do and it so consistent that I don't change it. AND, my rice is never sticky.
