A very basic way to look at the two is: Etoufee is almost like a thickened seafood sauce that goes over rice, and jambalaya is almost like a "cajunized" rice pilaf with meat in it.
Etoufee means "smothered". Etoufee is similar to gumbo in which that they both start with a dark roux and then trinity (onions, celery, bell peppers), stock, herbs and spices, and seafood are added (usually shrimp or crawfish). Etoufee is thicker than gumbo, and whether or not tomatoes are used or not, is a heated debate among cooks in Louisiana. So sometimes etoufee is red (with tomatoes), or brown (without tomatoes, color comes from the dark roux).
One of my old chefs told me once that jambalaya has to contain ham because the word "jambalaya" comes from the french word for ham "jambon". I've had many jambalayas that didn't have ham, but almost always had andouille sausage. Jambalaya usually has rice, trinity, herbs and spices, and whichever protein you want to put in. As far the proteins go, most cooks put in what is grown in their area. If they're on the water, they put in seafood. If on a farm, poultry and pork. Etc. Also, tomatoes are put in by some people, some not.
Hope this helps.
And the "alaya" in "jambalaya" is a reference to "a la ya," translated as "with rice" (derived from the French and West African languages).
Oh, and the type of ham that the Paul Prudhomme uses is tasso, which is technically not ham but is a pork product.
I've never made ?touff?e for whatever reason because it's hard to get good seafood where we live. But I've made jambalaya many times. My two favorite recipes for this:
Paul Prudhomme’s Poor Man's Jambalaya
4 small whole bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fil? powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 tablespoons margarine
6 ounces tasso (preferred) or other smoked ham (preferably Cure 81), diced
6 ounces andouille smoked sausage (preferred) or Polish kielbasa, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups uncooked rice (preferably converted)
4 cups basic beef, pork or chicken stock
Combine first 9 ingredients and set aside. In a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) melt the margarine over high heat. Add the tasso and andouille; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic, and seasoning mix. Stir well and continue cooking until browned, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom well. Stir in the rice and cook 5 minutes, stirring and scraping pan bottom occasionally. Add the stock, stirring well. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender but still a bit crunchy, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally toward the end of cooking time. Serves 8.
Paul Prudhomme’s Chicken and Seafood Jambalaya
We blew everyone away one year when I served this at the Callaway Gardens Steeplechase. The wonderful aroma drove everyone in nearby boxes crazy!
(Try half the pepper suggested, then add more according to your preference)
2 small whole bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup chopped tasso (preferred) or other smoked ham (preferably Cure 81), about 3 ounces
1/2 cup chopped andouille smoked sausage (preferred) or Polish kielbasa
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chicken, cut into bite-size pieces, about 3 ounces
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 medium-size tomatoes, peeled and chopped, about 1 pound
3/4 cup canned tomato sauce
2 cups basic seafood stock or chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups uncooked rice (preferably converted)
1 pound shrimp, peeled
Combine first 7 ingredients and set aside. In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the tasso and andouille and saut? until crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers; saut? until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom well. Add the chicken. Raise heat to high and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add the seasoning mix and minced garlic; cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping pan bottom as needed. Add the tomatoes and cook until chicken is tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato sauce; cook 7 minutes, stirring fairly often. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Then stir in the green onions and cook about 2 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add rice and shrimp; stir well and remove from heat. Transfer to a greased 8x8-inch baking pan. Cover pan snugly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees until rice is tender but still a bit crunchy, about 1 hour. Remove bay leaves and serve immediately. To serve, mold rice in an 8-ounce cup. Place 2 cups on each serving plate for a main course or 1 cup for an appetizer.
