How to Cook Jambalaya | The Chef & The Dish

It'll be like a party on Bourbon Street - just in your own kitchen. Master Jambalaya, NOLA "BBQ" Shrimp and Crab Cakes in this epic cooking class

No dish quite embodies the spirit of New Orleans like a spicy Jambalaya. This legendary Creole dish has its origins in Spanish and French culture that has so defined The Big Easy. In well documented food history, Jambalaya can be traced back to the 1800's. Colonial Spanish settlers tried to reconstruct their native paella using locally-sourced ingredients. A little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and Jambalaya was born. Now firmly planted as a unique contribution to global cuisine, Jambalaya is so important in this region there are hotly contested debates of what makes a true Jambalaya, and in spring there's a festival celebrating the dish every year.

Rounding out your Jambalaya class are Creole Crab Cakes and NOLA "BBQ" Shrimp. In what become your favorite dish from the class, this shrimp isn't traditionally "BBQed" as its name suggests. Buttery, saucy and savory, this dish has an interesting history dating back to 1953 and a happy accident.

Virtually head to Bourbon street with Chef Gason, who's been featured on Food Network, Sports Illustrated and has been the private chef to countless celebrities. He will join you, live from his home in New Orleans, and you'll make this epic menu together.

20 minute Kitchen Prep Session with a Personal Kitchen Assistant who will get you ready! Includes teaching about ingredients and answering any questions you have as you get ready for your private cooking experience

2-1/2 hour Private Cooking Class via Skype with a highly accomplished global chef who lives where the recipe originated. Perfect for stay home date nights!

Personalized step-by-step coaching, tips, culinary tricks, sharing of stories, and more

A fantastic multi-course meal, 100% authentic and enjoyed as if you travelled to your chef's country!

Music Playlists featuring artists from the chef's country to get ready for your experience

Cocktail Recipes and Suggested Pairings

Recipe Booklet to recreate your dishes again and again!

What You Get

**Classes make a hearty meal for up to four people to enjoy. If you have a larger group eating, please know, additional fees may apply. Please message us in advance of booking to ensure you have an amazing experience.

Meet The Chef

Chef Gason

New Orleans, Louisiana

Private chef to A-list celebrities and athletes, contestant on Food Network, regular chef on TV, James Beard Scholar.

Chef Gason, a New Orleans native and two-time James Beard Scholar, has traveled the world, showcasing his extraordinary culinary talents to some of the most discerning palates, including Francis Ford Coppola, the Kardashians, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Matthew McConaughey, Swizz Beatz, Sinbad, Jairus Byrd, Paul Walker, Reggie Bush, and New Orleans Saints' tight end Ben Watson.

Chef Gason has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Business Insider, Reader's Digest, New Orleans Magazine, morning shows, and on the Food Network's "Chopped," where he made it to the final round. In 2017 and 2020, the American Culinary Federation, Louisiana Chapter, named him one of the "Best Chefs in Louisiana."

His passion for food and his hometown shines through in every detail. As Chef Gason says, "The state of being fully immersed in an activity is called 'flow.' Flow is my culinary code." And it's this flow that you’ll learn from him, without a doubt.

Known as the NOLA Chef, Chef Gason’s private chef and catering company, Full of Flavor, caters to events both intimate and grand, earning rave reviews. During your cooking class, his energy and vibrant spirit will leap from your screen, and by the end, you’ll have a new friend—and some of the best Creole food you’ve ever tasted. He can’t wait to teach you how to cook New Orleans-style in his classes with The Chef & The Dish.

Cooking Class Menu

PRIVATE CLASS

*The base price of most classes is $369 which allows 2 participants in the same kitchen. Each additional person in your kitchen thereafter is an additional $50 USD. So, a class of 4 is actually only $117.25 USD per person! Please know, a $50 USD surcharge will apply if you’d like to add a second kitchen. Looking for group classes? Explore here.

DATE

GROUP SIZE

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From $149/pp USD*

We had a wonderful experience with Chef Gason during his Jambalaya cooking class! I booked the class for my boyfriend’s 30th birthday, and Chef Gason went out of his way to make sure we had a great time. He couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful, and he shared so much about the history of New Orleans food and culture along the way. You can tell he is passionate about his food, his city, and sharing that love with new people. Oh, and we had so much delicious food (like … See More

Colleen Thornhill

My team, ADVANTIS Global Services had an amazing time with The Chef & The Dish! Chef Gason Nelson took us on an amazing experience with Nola style BBQ Shrimp. Fun listening to his stories as a chef growing and learning his craft! Great for the team to bring families and loved ones together!

Bryan Geoffrey Mikolaitis

My husband, Richard, and I just spent the evening with Chef Gason cooking Creole dishes. The whole experience was beyond all expectations. Chef Gason is clearly passionate about Louisiana cuisine and it rubs off. He made the class fun, interesting and also a learning experience. We cooked fried shrimp - to die for, crab cakes - with a perfect consistency, both crispy on the outside but oh so moist inside and then Jambalaya with its rich blended flavors. We even made hurr… See More

Serena Jones

My wife and I had an absolutely wonderful "date night" with Chef Gason and The Chef & the Dish! First we got the kids out of the house. Then we opened a nice bottle of wine. And then we fired up Skype and learned how to make Jambalaya, Creole Crab Cakes, and New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. Each dish was excellent in its own right, the instructor was fun and friendly, and we now know how to make these delicious dishes for decades to come. We had such a magnificent evening that we'… See More

Shane Silverberg

Client Reviews

We’ve had a lot of press coverage and we’re super happy to help people transport their kitchen for the day.

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