One of the largest international seaports, New Orleans has always been a melting pot of many nationalities.  The most recent to migrate to New Orleans are the Vietnamese.  Like the Spanish, Germans and Irish immigrants before them, the Vietnamese have made New Orleans their own, adopting both its culture and cuisine.  Johnny Do is a cop in the novel Big Easy.  He loves Cajun and Creole cooking and he has adapted many local recipes to reflect the style of his Asian homeland.  Vietnamese Jambalaya is one of Johnny’s favorite dishes.

 

¦ 8 ounces Asian pork sausage
¦ 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
¦ 1 pound sea scallops
¦ 3 tablespoons dry sherry, divided
¦ 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
¦ 1 whole chicken breast, skinned, boned and cut into bit-size pieces
¦ 5 tablespoons peanut oil
¦ 1 onion, finely diced
¦ 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
¦ 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
¦ 2 pinches powdered saffron

¦ 2 cups basmati rice
¦ ½ bunch fresh Thai basil, finely chopped

¦ 3 stalks lemon grass, very finely chopped

¦ 1 red bell pepper, coarsely diced

¦ 5 small banana peppers with ends removed
¦ 2 dozen mussels, cleaned, beards removed
¦ ½-cup bean sprouts

¦ 5 cups seafood stock

Cut sausage into 1/4-inch slices. Sauté over medium-high heat until lightly seared and fat is renders. Remove sausage and place it on a paper towel to drain.  In a small bowl, toss shrimp and scallops with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of sherry. In another small bowl, toss chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon each

soy sauce and sherry.  In large wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until just translucent.  Add garlic, ginger and saffron, then add rice and stir to coat well with onion mixture, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add lemon grass.  While stirring, gradually add stock. Turn heat to high; allow stock to come to a boil and reduce to a medium simmer. Add basil. Cook for 5 minutes. Add sausage, chicken and peppers. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add shrimp, scallops and mussels, arranging on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle bean sprouts on top of seafood. Cook shrimp and scallops 5 to 8 minutes, or until mussels have opened.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.  Remove any unopened mussels. Gently toss seafood, and sprouts with rice and serve.

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