Orleans Dunbar's Jambalaya Melt 1 tablespoon butter and brown onion and garlic. Peel and devein shrimps. If using large shrimp, cut them in halves lengthwise. Add shrimp to onion mixture and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes, until shrimp are bright pink. Cut sausages into samll pieces and brown in a separate pan. Cut ham into cubes the same size as the sausage and saute with the sausage for a few minutes. Blend in flour. Combine the meat with the shrimp and add tomato paste and thyme. Add hot water and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Cook rice according to package instructions until it is barely tender. Stir rice into meat mixture and continue cooking for 30 minutes more or til rice has absorbed all the liquid and the mixture is quite dry.